White County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47185 Republican

Located in Tennessee, White County has a population of 28,160 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #1,537 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $207,200, and the median household income is $52,188, which is 31% below the national median.

28,160
Population
#1,537 of 3,222
$52,188
Median Income
-30.6% #2,650 of 3,222
43.5 years
Median Age
+11.8% #1,074 of 3,222
13.2%
Poverty Rate
+4.6% #1,571 of 3,222

Demographics

White County has a population of 28,160, making it the #1,537 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in White County is $52,188, ranking #2,650 out of 3,222 counties — 30.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#2,650
$52,188
-30.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Per Capita#2,535
$29,308
-29.0%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poverty#1,571
13.2%
+4.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Unemployment#2,330
5.6%
+4.7%
vs nation
28th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in White County is $207,200 (-26.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $849/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.9%.

Home Value#1,335
$207,200
-26.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Rent#1,758
$849
-27.0%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#1,195
76.9%
+19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Household Type

Education

In White County, 15.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.1% below the national average, ranking #2,800 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.1% −55.1% vs nation
Rank #2,800 of 3,222
13th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in White County is 71.6 years. 23.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,591
71.6
-4.7%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,530
23.7%
+21.2%
vs nation
20th percentile
Diabetes#2,344
12.5%
+12.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,074
39.2%
+5.1%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,106
7.0
+24.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,033
5.7
+28.3%
vs nation
4th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,531
14.1%
+34.2%
vs nation
20th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,541
30.9%
+17.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,255
16.3%
+13.1%
vs nation
28th percentile

Substance Use

24.9% of adults in White County smoke , 39.8% are obese , and 16.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 56.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,006
24.9%
+38.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,018
39.8%
+5.0%
vs nation
36th percentile
Excessive Drinking#506
16.7%
-15.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,912
56.3
+74.2%
vs nation
10th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in White County is 6.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 23.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#804
6.3
-21.6%
vs nation
48th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,947
23.2
+17.7%
vs nation
24th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,954
23.2
+29.9%
vs nation
21th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,514
19.3
-4.5%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

19.7% of children in White County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,335
30.0
+37.5%
vs nation
22th percentile
Child Poverty#1,874
19.7%
+3.7%
vs nation
40th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in White County is 56.6%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.2 min −5.1% vs nation
Rank #1,649 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, White County voted Republican with a margin of 66.6%. The vote was 16.3% Dem / 82.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +66.6%
16.3% 82.9%
Dem 12,931 votes Rep
2020 REP +62.8%
18% 80.8%
Dem 11,895 votes Rep
2016 REP +59.5%
18.8% 78.3%
Dem 9,776 votes Rep
2012 REP +37.2%
30.6% 67.8%
Dem 9,133 votes Rep
2008 REP +28.3%
35% 63.3%
Dem 9,647 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About White County, Tennessee

White County, Tennessee has a total population of 28,160, making it the 1,537th most populous county in the United States. The median age in White County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in White County is $52,188, which ranks #2,650 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in White County is $207,200, 26.5% below the national median. Renters in White County pay a median gross rent of $849 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In White County, 15.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.

White County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for White 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.