Lauderdale County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lauderdale County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 24,933. It is the 60th most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lauderdale County is 39.4 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lauderdale County is $49,205. This is 27% 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 18.7%. This is 36% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.1%. This is 8% higher 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 2.5x, Lauderdale County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 62.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% lower than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lauderdale County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 58.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 33.9%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (33.9% vs 15.7%). The Hispanic or Latino population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

10.9% 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 64% 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 Lauderdale 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.