Cocke County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47029 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Cocke County has a population of 36,813 residents and a median age of 45.3 years, making it the #1,293 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.9%. The median home value is $158,100, and the median household income is $48,016, which is 36% below the national median.

36,813
Population
#1,293 of 3,222
$48,016
Median Income
-36.1% #2,870 of 3,222
45.3 years
Median Age
+16.5% #707 of 3,222
21.9%
Poverty Rate
+73.9% #2,835 of 3,222

Demographics

Cocke County has a population of 36,813, making it the #1,293 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.8%
Native Born
1.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cocke County is $48,016, ranking #2,870 out of 3,222 counties — 36.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.9% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.

Income#2,870
$48,016
-36.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Per Capita#2,676
$28,260
-31.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poverty#2,835
21.9%
+73.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Unemployment#1,452
4.2%
-20.3%
vs nation
55th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cocke County is $158,100 (-43.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.5%.

Home Value#2,073
$158,100
-43.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Rent#2,117
$798
-31.4%
vs nation
34th percentile
Homeownership#1,612
74.5%
+15.7%
vs nation
50th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cocke County, 11.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 67.4% below the national average, ranking #3,153 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
11.0% −67.4% vs nation
Rank #3,153 of 3,222
2th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cocke County is 68.0 years. 25.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,995
68.0
-9.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,801
25.6%
+30.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Diabetes#2,591
13.2%
+18.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,903
42.8%
+14.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,123
7.2
+26.7%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,077
5.8
+31.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,286
12.8%
+22.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,888
33.9%
+28.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,913
19.5%
+35.4%
vs nation
7th percentile

Substance Use

25.0% of adults in Cocke County smoke , 41.5% are obese , and 16.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 64.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,012
25.0%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,521
41.5%
+9.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Excessive Drinking#475
16.6%
-16.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,997
64.8
+100.5%
vs nation
6th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Cocke County is 6.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 25.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#818
6.3
-20.6%
vs nation
47th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,123
25.8
+30.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,647
19.9
+11.1%
vs nation
33th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,874
22.6
+11.7%
vs nation
34th percentile

Families & Children

28.7% of children in Cocke County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 35.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,005
7.9
+15.7%
vs nation
26th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,631
35.2
+61.0%
vs nation
12th percentile
Child Poverty#2,776
28.7%
+51.1%
vs nation
12th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cocke County is 52.6%. The mean commute time is 36.0 min, which is 30.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
52.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
36.0 min +30.5% vs nation
Rank #212 of 3,222
93th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cocke County voted Republican with a margin of 68.3%. The vote was 15.4% Dem / 83.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +68.3%
15.4% 83.7%
Dem 15,663 votes Rep
2020 REP +64.8%
17% 81.8%
Dem 14,859 votes Rep
2016 REP +64.5%
16.4% 80.9%
Dem 12,108 votes Rep
2012 REP +49.4%
24.5% 73.9%
Dem 11,450 votes Rep
2008 REP +44.9%
26.8% 71.7%
Dem 12,481 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cocke County, Tennessee

Cocke County, Tennessee has a total population of 36,813, making it the 1,293rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cocke County is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cocke County is $48,016, which ranks #2,870 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 36.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.

The median home value in Cocke County is $158,100, 43.9% below the national median. Renters in Cocke County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cocke County, 11.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 67.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.0 min.

Cocke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.2%).

All data for Cocke County, Tennessee comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.