Scott County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Scott County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 21,969. It is the 63rd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Scott County is 40.7 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Scott County is $42,679. This is 36% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 46% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 24.9%. This is 81% 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 7.3%. This is 55% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $116,800. Housing costs are 55% lower than the state median of $256,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Scott County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 71.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Scott County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.6% of all residents. Asian residents account for 0.4%. The Black or African American population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 7.1%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

10.2% 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 66% 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 80.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Scott 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.