Smith County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47159 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Smith County has a population of 20,389 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #1,858 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.0%. The median home value is $243,800, and the median household income is $66,293, which is 12% below the national median.

20,389
Population
#1,858 of 3,222
$66,293
Median Income
-11.8% #1,498 of 3,222
40.6 years
Median Age
+4.4% #1,939 of 3,222
10.0%
Poverty Rate
-20.5% #797 of 3,222

Demographics

Smith County has a population of 20,389, making it the #1,858 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Smith County is $66,293, ranking #1,498 out of 3,222 counties — 11.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.0% and unemployment stands at 2.7%.

Income#1,498
$66,293
-11.8%
vs nation
54th percentile
Per Capita#1,864
$33,386
-19.1%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poverty#797
10.0%
-20.5%
vs nation
75th percentile
Unemployment#523
2.7%
-49.8%
vs nation
84th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Smith County is $243,800 (-13.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $922/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.9%.

Home Value#940
$243,800
-13.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Rent#1,324
$922
-20.7%
vs nation
59th percentile
Homeownership#1,190
76.9%
+19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Smith County, 18.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.2% below the national average, ranking #2,268 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.5% −45.2% vs nation
Rank #2,268 of 3,222
30th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Smith County is 72.0 years. 20.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,492
72.0
-4.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,884
20.2%
+3.3%
vs nation
40th percentile
Diabetes#1,835
11.3%
+1.5%
vs nation
42th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,844
38.4%
+2.9%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,901
6.5
+15.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,712
5.2
+16.6%
vs nation
14th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,122
11.9%
+13.7%
vs nation
33th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,868
27.3%
+3.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,075
15.7%
+9.0%
vs nation
34th percentile

Substance Use

20.6% of adults in Smith County smoke , 36.9% are obese , and 19.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,430
20.6%
+14.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,140
36.9%
-2.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,171
19.0%
-4.6%
vs nation
63th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,922
57.4
+77.6%
vs nation
9th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,995
23.9
+21.2%
vs nation
22th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,109
25.7
+44.0%
vs nation
14th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,030
24.3
+19.8%
vs nation
28th percentile

Families & Children

16.5% of children in Smith County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 19.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,409
19.5
-10.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Child Poverty#1,355
16.5%
-13.1%
vs nation
57th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Smith County is 59.7%. The mean commute time is 33.9 min, which is 22.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.9 min +22.8% vs nation
Rank #378 of 3,222
88th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Smith County voted Republican with a margin of 64.9%. The vote was 17.1% Dem / 82% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +64.9%
17.1% 82%
Dem 9,336 votes Rep
2020 REP +58.9%
19.9% 78.8%
Dem 9,051 votes Rep
2016 REP +51.2%
22.8% 74%
Dem 7,410 votes Rep
2012 REP +28.6%
34.8% 63.4%
Dem 7,081 votes Rep
2008 REP +20.2%
38.7% 58.9%
Dem 7,741 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Smith County, Tennessee

Smith County, Tennessee has a total population of 20,389, making it the 1,858th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Smith County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Smith County is $66,293, which ranks #1,498 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.7%.

The median home value in Smith County is $243,800, 13.5% below the national median. Renters in Smith County pay a median gross rent of $922 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Smith County, 18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.9 min.

Smith County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.1%).

All data for Smith 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.