Decatur County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47039 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Decatur County has a population of 11,579 residents and a median age of 45.8 years, making it the #2,385 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.1%. The median home value is $139,600, and the median household income is $45,375, which is 40% below the national median.

11,579
Population
#2,385 of 3,222
$45,375
Median Income
-39.6% #2,954 of 3,222
45.8 years
Median Age
+17.7% #626 of 3,222
22.1%
Poverty Rate
+75.8% #2,848 of 3,222

Demographics

Decatur County has a population of 11,579, making it the #2,385 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.8 years, which is 17.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.6%
Native Born
2.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Decatur County is $45,375, ranking #2,954 out of 3,222 counties — 39.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.1% and unemployment stands at 7.2%.

Income#2,954
$45,375
-39.6%
vs nation
8th percentile
Per Capita#2,814
$26,884
-34.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poverty#2,848
22.1%
+75.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Unemployment#2,825
7.2%
+35.1%
vs nation
12th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Decatur County is $139,600 (-50.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $757/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.3%.

Home Value#2,397
$139,600
-50.5%
vs nation
25th percentile
Rent#2,439
$757
-34.9%
vs nation
24th percentile
Homeownership#1,645
74.3%
+15.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Decatur County, 14.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.4% below the national average, ranking #2,929 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.0% −58.4% vs nation
Rank #2,929 of 3,222
9th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Decatur County is 70.7 years. 24.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,764
70.7
-5.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,647
24.4%
+24.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#2,554
13.1%
+17.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,904
42.8%
+14.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,040
6.8
+20.2%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,900
5.5
+22.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,052
11.6%
+10.7%
vs nation
35th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,817
33.2%
+25.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,480
17.1%
+18.7%
vs nation
21th percentile

Substance Use

25.5% of adults in Decatur County smoke , 41.5% are obese , and 17.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 37.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,040
25.5%
+42.0%
vs nation
3th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,522
41.5%
+9.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Excessive Drinking#563
17.0%
-14.6%
vs nation
82th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,518
37.6
+16.3%
vs nation
28th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,476
19.4
-1.5%
vs nation
42th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,344
17.3
-3.4%
vs nation
46th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,057
24.6
+21.3%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

24.0% of children in Decatur County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,012
15.8
-27.6%
vs nation
66th percentile
Child Poverty#2,418
24.0%
+26.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Decatur County is 57.0%. The mean commute time is 29.8 min, which is 8.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
57.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.8 min +8.0% vs nation
Rank #914 of 3,222
72th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Decatur County voted Republican with a margin of 69.1%. The vote was 15% Dem / 84.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +69.1%
15% 84.1%
Dem 5,466 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.5%
17.2% 80.7%
Dem 5,241 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.7%
19.5% 78.2%
Dem 4,577 votes Rep
2012 REP +37.0%
30.6% 67.6%
Dem 4,248 votes Rep
2008 REP +32.2%
32.9% 65.1%
Dem 4,763 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Decatur County, Tennessee

Decatur County, Tennessee has a total population of 11,579, making it the 2,385th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Decatur County is 45.8 years, which is 17.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Decatur County is $45,375, which ranks #2,954 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.2%.

The median home value in Decatur County is $139,600, 50.5% below the national median. Renters in Decatur County pay a median gross rent of $757 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Decatur County, 14.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.8 min.

Decatur County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.7%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.7%).

All data for Decatur 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.