Smith County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Smith 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 average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 83% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,389 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 62.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.77% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,932 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Smith County grew by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,389 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Smith County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,111 20.2% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,129 20.3% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,667 22.9% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,583 17.6% +0.3 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 49.7% of the people living in Smith County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 50.3% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Smith County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Smith County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,553 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.45% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Smith County is about 3% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $136,979 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $922 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Smith County is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $922 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Smith County spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 230 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.3 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 230 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,140 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,322 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 397 | 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 Smith County is 28 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
Smith County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 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
Smith County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Smith County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.9 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.0% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.1% | 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).
Smith County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Smith County, TN is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 20,389 residents against a local median of 26,240. The measure that sets Smith County, TN apart most is median home price: $136,979, 52% below the local median of $282,916.
The counties themselves spread $207,836 on median home price, so Smith County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Smith County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, TN | 20,389 | $67,553 #2/4 | $136,979 #4/4 | 27.6 min #2/4 |
| Macon County, TN | 26,240 | $58,828 | $282,916 | 31.7 min |
| DeKalb County, TN | 20,959 | $54,540 | $255,882 | 22.6 min |
| Wilson County, TN | 157,828 | $95,707 | $463,718 | 30.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Smith County, Tennessee.
How big is Smith County, Tennessee by population?
About 20,389 people live in Smith County, Tennessee, in 7,932 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Smith County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Smith County, Tennessee has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Smith County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($136,979 against $67,553), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $922 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Smith County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Smith County, Tennessee is only 2.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Smith County, Tennessee have a college degree?
15.8% of adults in Smith 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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