Bledsoe County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Bledsoe County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 14,905. It is the 78th most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bledsoe County is 44.9 years. This is 15% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bledsoe County is $49,655. This is 26% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 37% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 25.0%. This is 81% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.2%. This is 11% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $165,400. Housing costs are 36% lower than the state median of $256,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 79.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 18% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bledsoe County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.8% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 5.5%. The Black or African American population (5.5%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.3%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

8.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 71% lower than the state rate of 30.4%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 79.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Bledsoe County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Tennessee and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.