Carroll County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Carroll County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 28,461. It is the 52nd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Carroll County is 41.6 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Carroll County is $50,391. This is 25% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 16.4%. This is 19% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 12% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $122,100. Housing costs are 52% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, Carroll County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 74.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Carroll County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 8.8%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.0%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 38% 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 88.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Carroll 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.