Rhea County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rhea County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,992 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 101.0 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.58% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,474 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rhea County grew by 10.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,992 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rhea County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.5 points below Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,085 20.8% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,436 18.9% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,025 20.7% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,745 19.8% +2.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.0% of the people living in Rhea County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 50.0% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rhea County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rhea County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,956 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.91% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rhea County is about 20% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $276,685 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $839 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rhea County is about 27.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $839 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rhea County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.2 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,585 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,980 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 601 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Rhea County is about the same as in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rhea County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Rhea County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.5% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Rhea County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Rhea County, TN is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 33,992 residents against a local median of 63,553. Rhea County, TN's median home price, at $276,685, runs 24% above the $223,495 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $132,040 on median home price, so Rhea County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rhea County, TN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County, TN | 33,992 | $55,956 #4/4 | $276,685 #2/4 | 21.6 min #4/4 |
| Cumberland County, TN | 63,553 | $60,349 | $278,289 | 19.0 min |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | $60,991 | $146,249 | 20.6 min |
| Bradley County, TN | 110,691 | $67,551 | $223,495 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rhea County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Rhea County, Tennessee?
About 33,992 people live in Rhea County, Tennessee, in 13,474 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Rhea County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Rhea County, Tennessee has 101 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rhea County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($276,685 against $55,956), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $839 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Rhea County, Tennessee have a college degree?
15.9% of adults in Rhea County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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