Roane County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Roane 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.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 72% of counties in Tennessee
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 79% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 79% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,193 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 139.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.51% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.6 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 22,783 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Roane County grew by 3.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 55,193 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Roane County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.0% of residents. That is 6.7 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,719 17.6% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,987 18.1% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,561 22.8% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,267 24.0% +6.7 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 50.9% of the people living in Roane County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.1% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Roane County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Roane County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,461 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.79% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Roane County is about 2% higher than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $66,481 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $784 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.1% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Roane County is about 7.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $784 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Roane County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 225 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 225 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,982 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,190 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 815 | 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 Roane County is 27 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes 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
Roane County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.6% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Roane County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Roane County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.0% | 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).
Roane County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Roane County, TN is typical in size for this group, 55,193 residents against a local median of 56,732, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Roane County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 54% below the local median of $144,676 at $66,481.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 27.0 min against a local median of 22.5 min, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 20% above the local median it puts Roane County, TN at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $107,449 on median home price, so Roane County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Roane County, TN has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roane County, TN | 55,193 | $71,461 #2/5 | $66,481 #5/5 | 27.0 min #4/5 |
| Loudon County, TN | 58,580 | $84,040 | $143,103 | 22.0 min |
| Morgan County, TN | 21,361 | $65,837 | $102,917 | 32.2 min |
| Anderson County, TN | 79,153 | $67,394 | $210,366 | 23.1 min |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | $60,991 | $146,249 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Roane County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Roane County, Tennessee?
About 55,193 people live in Roane County, Tennessee, in 22,783 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Roane County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Roane County, Tennessee has 140 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Roane County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($66,481 against $71,461), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $784 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Roane County, Tennessee?
20.6% of adults in Roane County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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