Van Buren County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47175 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Van Buren County has a population of 6,437 residents and a median age of 47.2 years, making it the #2,779 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.1%. The median home value is $159,200, and the median household income is $54,931, which is 27% below the national median.

6,437
Population
#2,779 of 3,222
$54,931
Median Income
-26.9% #2,481 of 3,222
47.2 years
Median Age
+21.3% #452 of 3,222
16.1%
Poverty Rate
+27.8% #2,142 of 3,222

Demographics

Van Buren County has a population of 6,437, making it the #2,779 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.2 years, which is 21.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Van Buren County is $54,931, ranking #2,481 out of 3,222 counties — 26.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.1% and unemployment stands at 2.3%.

Income#2,481
$54,931
-26.9%
vs nation
23th percentile
Per Capita#2,730
$27,757
-32.7%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poverty#2,142
16.1%
+27.8%
vs nation
34th percentile
Unemployment#387
2.3%
-56.1%
vs nation
88th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Van Buren County is $159,200 (-43.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $700/mo and the homeownership rate is 86.4%.

Home Value#2,044
$159,200
-43.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Rent#2,734
$700
-39.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Homeownership#70
86.4%
+34.2%
vs nation
98th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Van Buren County, 13.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 59.3% below the national average, ranking #2,964 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.7% −59.3% vs nation
Rank #2,964 of 3,222
8th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Van Buren County is 70.4 years. 23.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,820
70.4
-6.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,565
23.9%
+22.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Diabetes#2,343
12.5%
+12.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,439
40.5%
+8.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,097
7.0
+24.1%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,008
5.6
+26.5%
vs nation
4th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,953
11.1%
+6.3%
vs nation
38th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,557
31.0%
+17.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,750
18.5%
+28.4%
vs nation
13th percentile

Substance Use

24.0% of adults in Van Buren County smoke , 39.2% are obese , and 17.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,945
24.0%
+33.6%
vs nation
6th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,825
39.2%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile
Excessive Drinking#642
17.3%
-12.9%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 34.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.9 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,440
34.0
+72.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,005
23.9
+18.2%
vs nation
29th percentile

Families & Children

23.6% of children in Van Buren County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,778
23.3
+6.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Child Poverty#2,380
23.6%
+24.3%
vs nation
24th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Van Buren County is 62.9%. The mean commute time is 32.7 min, which is 18.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.7 min +18.5% vs nation
Rank #504 of 3,222
84th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Van Buren County voted Republican with a margin of 67.2%. The vote was 16% Dem / 83.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +67.2%
16% 83.2%
Dem 3,265 votes Rep
2020 REP +61.6%
18.6% 80.2%
Dem 2,921 votes Rep
2016 REP +53.0%
22.3% 75.3%
Dem 2,417 votes Rep
2012 REP +22.1%
38.1% 60.2%
Dem 2,298 votes Rep
2008 REP +20.5%
38.9% 59.4%
Dem 2,180 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Van Buren County, Tennessee

Van Buren County, Tennessee has a total population of 6,437, making it the 2,779th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Van Buren County is 47.2 years, which is 21.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Van Buren County is $54,931, which ranks #2,481 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.3%.

The median home value in Van Buren County is $159,200, 43.5% below the national median. Renters in Van Buren County pay a median gross rent of $700 per month. The homeownership rate is 86.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Van Buren County, 13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.7 min.

Van Buren County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%).

All data for Van Buren 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.