Wilson County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilson 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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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Tennessee
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Tennessee
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 95% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 157,828 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 271.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.96% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 58,798 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilson County grew by 49.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 157,828 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.8% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 30,026 19.0% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,487 21.9% +0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 36,048 22.8% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 26,003 16.5% -0.8 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 50.6% of the people living in Wilson County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.4% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wilson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wilson County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,707 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.18% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilson County is about 37% higher than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $463,718 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,485 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilson County is about 26.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,485 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilson County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 254 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,886 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.8% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,908 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,973 | 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 Wilson County is 31 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
Wilson County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.2% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 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
Wilson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wilson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 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).
Wilson County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Wilson County, TN is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 157,828 residents against a local median of 204,441. Where Wilson County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% above the local median of $338,684 at $463,718.
The counties themselves spread $245,459 on median home price, so Wilson County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wilson County, TN has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County, TN | 157,828 | $95,707 #1/4 | $463,718 #1/4 | 30.5 min #4/4 |
| Rutherford County, TN | 357,384 | $85,930 | $382,437 | 23.6 min |
| Smith County, TN | 20,389 | $67,553 | $136,979 | 27.6 min |
| Sumner County, TN | 204,441 | $90,746 | $338,684 | 26.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilson County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Wilson County, Tennessee?
About 157,828 people live in Wilson County, Tennessee, in 58,798 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wilson County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wilson County, Tennessee has 271 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Wilson County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($463,718 against $95,707), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,485 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Wilson County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Wilson County, Tennessee is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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