Van Buren County, Tennessee Income Statistics
Van Buren County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Van Buren County Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Van Buren County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $55,402 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,521 | $53,263 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.3% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.2% | 10.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 1.9% | 9.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Van Buren County is about 21% lower than in Tennessee. Income has been growing slower in Van Buren County (4.3%/yr) than in Tennessee (5.2%/yr).
About 3% of adults in Van Buren County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Tennessee average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Van Buren County, Tennessee grew by 81.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $55,402 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Van Buren County
| Metric | Van Buren County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.492 | 0.542 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $49,695 | $61,993 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,070 | $50,108 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 13.3% | 19.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Van Buren County, it is 0.492, lower than Tennessee's 0.542, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 15% more than women's income in Van Buren County, Tennessee. Over a 35-year career, a 15% wage gap accumulates to roughly $231,875 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Van Buren County, Tennessee has widened from about 6% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2014, and was narrowest at 6% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,664 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Van Buren County widened by 6.9 points while Tennessee's narrowed by 3.7 points.
Employment
| Metric | Van Buren County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.7% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 64 people are unemployed in Van Buren County, Tennessee.
The average commute time in Van Buren County is 30 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Van Buren County, Tennessee has fallen from 7.3% to 2.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.8% in 2018.
Van Buren County, TN Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Van Buren County, TN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,437 residents against a local median of 16,809. Van Buren County, TN's unemployment, at 2.3%, runs 61% below the 5.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 4.3%/yr against a local median of 5.5%/yr, 22% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Van Buren County, TN is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 7.1% on unemployment, so Van Buren County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Van Buren County, TN has the 2nd lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, TN | 6,437 | $55,402 #3/6 | 4.3%/yr #5/6 | 2.3% #2/6 | 0.492 #1/6 |
| White County, TN | 28,160 | $54,822 | 5.5%/yr | 5.6% | 0.520 |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 15,032 | $54,853 | 4.5%/yr | 1.8% | 0.572 |
| Warren County, TN | 42,165 | $55,751 | 5.5%/yr | 5.9% | 0.524 |
| Sequatchie County, TN | 16,809 | $58,634 | 3.2%/yr | 6.6% | 0.585 |
| Grundy County, TN | 13,819 | $48,237 | 6.7%/yr | 9.0% | 0.554 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Van Buren County, Tennessee has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Tennessee, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Van Buren County, Tennessee.
How Rich Is Van Buren County, Tennessee?
Van Buren County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $55,402, about 21% lower than the Tennessee average of $69,901.
Are incomes growing in Van Buren County, Tennessee?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Van Buren County, Tennessee rose 82%, from $30,500 to $55,402. Over the same years, income here outpaced Tennessee as a whole: +82% against +63%.
What was the median household income in Van Buren County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Van Buren County, Tennessee was $60,456, up 36% from $44,601 in 2022. The Tennessee median that year was $67,483.
What was the median household income in Van Buren County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Van Buren County, Tennessee was $45,897. By 2024 it had risen 21% to $55,402.
Is it hard to find a job in Van Buren County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Van Buren County, Tennessee is only 2.3%, well below the Tennessee rate of 4.6%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Van Buren County, Tennessee?
The Gini coefficient in Van Buren County is 0.492. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Van Buren County, Tennessee?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Van Buren County, Tennessee has widened from about 6% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2014, and was narrowest at 6% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,664 since 2009.
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