Wilson County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47189 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Wilson County has a population of 158,805 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #437 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.0%. The median home value is $428,000, and the median household income is $95,839, which is 28% above the national median.

158,805
Population
#437 of 3,222
$95,839
Median Income
+27.5% #209 of 3,222
39.8 years
Median Age
+2.3% #2,184 of 3,222
8.0%
Poverty Rate
-36.7% #355 of 3,222

Demographics

Wilson County has a population of 158,805, making it the #437 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.4%
Native Born
6.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wilson County is $95,839, ranking #209 out of 3,222 counties — 27.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.0% and unemployment stands at 3.2%.

Income#209
$95,839
+27.5%
vs nation
94th percentile
Per Capita#318
$46,888
+13.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poverty#355
8.0%
-36.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Unemployment#813
3.2%
-39.2%
vs nation
75th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wilson County is $428,000 (+51.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,486/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.0%.

Home Value#235
$428,000
+51.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Rent#257
$1,486
+27.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Homeownership#1,167
77.0%
+19.6%
vs nation
64th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wilson County, 37.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 12.3% above the national average, ranking #354 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
37.8% +12.3% vs nation
Rank #354 of 3,222
89th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wilson County is 76.1 years. 16.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,227
76.1
+1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#969
16.6%
-15.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Diabetes#1,544
10.7%
-3.9%
vs nation
51th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,010
38.9%
+4.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,408
5.6
-1.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,055
4.1
-7.4%
vs nation
67th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,400
8.7%
-16.7%
vs nation
56th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,012
23.7%
-10.2%
vs nation
68th percentile
Food Insecurity#675
11.5%
-20.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Substance Use

18.0% of adults in Wilson County smoke , 36.8% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 45.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,676
18.0%
+0.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,110
36.8%
-2.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Excessive Drinking#826
17.9%
-10.0%
vs nation
74th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,744
45.8
+41.6%
vs nation
18th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Wilson County is 3.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#269
3.1
-61.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,567
20.2
+2.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,081
15.6
-12.8%
vs nation
56th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#699
13.0
-35.7%
vs nation
75th percentile

Families & Children

8.4% of children in Wilson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 13.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#306
5.1
-25.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#759
13.6
-37.8%
vs nation
75th percentile
Child Poverty#186
8.4%
-55.8%
vs nation
94th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wilson County is 71.3%. The mean commute time is 33.4 min, which is 21.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.4 min +21.0% vs nation
Rank #435 of 3,222
87th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wilson County voted Republican with a margin of 40.0%. The vote was 29.4% Dem / 69.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +40.0%
29.4% 69.4%
Dem 81,254 votes Rep
2020 REP +37.8%
29.9% 67.7%
Dem 74,330 votes Rep
2016 REP +44.3%
25.5% 69.8%
Dem 56,286 votes Rep
2012 REP +41.6%
28.5% 70.1%
Dem 51,437 votes Rep
2008 REP +36.5%
31.1% 67.6%
Dem 51,159 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wilson County, Tennessee

Wilson County, Tennessee has a total population of 158,805, making it the 437th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wilson County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wilson County is $95,839, which ranks #209 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.

The median home value in Wilson County is $428,000, 51.8% above the national median. Renters in Wilson County pay a median gross rent of $1,486 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wilson County, 37.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.4 min.

Wilson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.5%).

All data for Wilson 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.