Macon County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47111 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Macon County has a population of 26,240 residents and a median age of 39.2 years, making it the #1,606 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.2%. The median home value is $225,700, and the median household income is $59,177, which is 21% below the national median.

26,240
Population
#1,606 of 3,222
$59,177
Median Income
-21.3% #2,157 of 3,222
39.2 years
Median Age
+0.8% #2,346 of 3,222
17.2%
Poverty Rate
+36.2% #2,324 of 3,222

Demographics

Macon County has a population of 26,240, making it the #1,606 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.2 years, which is 0.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.8%
Native Born
3.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Macon County is $59,177, ranking #2,157 out of 3,222 counties — 21.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.2% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#2,157
$59,177
-21.3%
vs nation
33th percentile
Per Capita#2,632
$28,670
-30.5%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poverty#2,324
17.2%
+36.2%
vs nation
28th percentile
Unemployment#932
3.4%
-35.5%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Macon County is $225,700 (-19.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $846/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.6%.

Home Value#1,126
$225,700
-19.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Rent#1,783
$846
-27.3%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#1,770
73.6%
+14.4%
vs nation
45th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Macon County, 12.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.8% below the national average, ranking #3,068 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.5% −62.8% vs nation
Rank #3,068 of 3,222
5th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Macon County is 71.5 years. 23.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,628
71.5
-4.9%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,441
23.1%
+18.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Diabetes#2,256
12.3%
+10.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,805
38.3%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,120
7.1
+26.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,976
5.6
+25.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,569
14.3%
+36.1%
vs nation
18th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,639
31.5%
+19.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,345
16.6%
+15.2%
vs nation
25th percentile

Substance Use

22.8% of adults in Macon County smoke , 40.4% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 46.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,807
22.8%
+27.0%
vs nation
11th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,188
40.4%
+6.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Excessive Drinking#876
18.1%
-9.2%
vs nation
72th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,763
46.9
+45.0%
vs nation
17th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 24.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,061
24.8
+25.6%
vs nation
19th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,478
18.3
+2.4%
vs nation
40th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,976
23.7
+16.9%
vs nation
30th percentile

Families & Children

22.4% of children in Macon County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 40.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,819
40.0
+83.4%
vs nation
6th percentile
Child Poverty#2,239
22.4%
+17.9%
vs nation
29th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Macon County is 53.6%. The mean commute time is 37.6 min, which is 36.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
53.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
37.6 min +36.1% vs nation
Rank #134 of 3,222
96th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Macon County voted Republican with a margin of 74.3%. The vote was 12.4% Dem / 86.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +74.3%
12.4% 86.7%
Dem 10,333 votes Rep
2020 REP +71.5%
13.8% 85.3%
Dem 9,487 votes Rep
2016 REP +69.3%
14.3% 83.6%
Dem 7,490 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.7%
22.5% 76.2%
Dem 6,904 votes Rep
2008 REP +19.6%
39.4% 59%
Dem 11,437 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Macon County, Tennessee

Macon County, Tennessee has a total population of 26,240, making it the 1,606th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Macon County is 39.2 years, which is 0.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Macon County is $59,177, which ranks #2,157 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Macon County is $225,700, 19.9% below the national median. Renters in Macon County pay a median gross rent of $846 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Macon County, 12.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 37.6 min.

Macon County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).

All data for Macon 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.