Cocke County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Cocke County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 36,503. It is the 42nd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cocke County is 45.4 years. This is 17% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cocke County is $48,416. This is 28% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 20.3%. This is 47% 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 4.4%. This is 7% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $141,800. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Cocke County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 71.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Cocke County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 92.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.9%. The Black or African American population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.9%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

11.7% 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 62% 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 83.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cocke 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.