Decatur County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Decatur County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 11,499. It is the 87th most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Decatur County is 45.9 years. This is 18% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Decatur County is $46,190. This is 31% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 41% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 21.6%. This is 57% 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 8.3%. This is 76% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $133,900. Housing costs are 48% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Decatur County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Decatur County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.5%. The Black or African American population (3.1%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.5%) is well below the state average of 7.1%.

Education

15.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% 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 84.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Decatur 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.