Haywood County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Haywood County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 17,672. It is the 73rd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Haywood County is 43.1 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Haywood County is $43,513. This is 35% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 45% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 22.8%. This is 66% 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 6.6%. This is 39% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $119,600. Housing costs are 53% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Haywood County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 57.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% lower than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Haywood County is Black or African American, making up 50.0% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 43.0%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (50.0% vs 15.7%). The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 57% 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 82.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Haywood 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.