White County, Tennessee

County in TN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

28,160

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.5

years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older

Diversity Index

15.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.1%

foreign-born population

98.9%Native

1.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

White County is a county in Tennessee, United States.

Location

County in TN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.927049° N, 85.455785° W

DMS35° 55′ 37.38″ N, 85° 27′ 20.83″ W

Population Density & area

74.75/sq mi (28.86/km²)

Total Area

379.4 sq mi (982.7 km²)

Land Area

376.7 sq mi (975.6 km²) · 99.28%

Water Area

2.7 sq mi (7.1 km²) · 0.72%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.5% male

Male 49.5%

Female 50.5%

males per 100 females

White County 98.2

Tennessee 96.4

United States 98

Nativity

1.1%

foreign-born population

98.9%Native

1.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

White County 1.1%

Tennessee 6.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.5

years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older

White County

43.5

Tennessee

38.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

75.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

White County 75.1

Tennessee 64.6

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.6%	22.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.2%	60.7%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	21.2%	17.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	75.1	64.6	64.4
Child dependency ratio	37.9	36.5	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	37.2	28.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.9%

Black

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

3.2%

Other

3.5%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

15.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

White County 15.3%

Tennessee 46.5%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of White County population

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3.2%	7.4%	19.3%
Mexican	1.3%	3.8%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	0.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0.2%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1%	2.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96.8%	92.6%	80.7%
One race	93.8%	88.9%	76.4%
White	91.9%	71%	57.4%
Black or African American	1%	15.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.4%	1.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3%	3.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64% family

Family 64%

Non family 36%

% family households

White County 64%

Tennessee 64.2%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.48

persons per household

White County

2.48

Tennessee

2.45

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of White County population

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Total households	11,226	2,824,277	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.48	2.45	2.53
Family households	7,184	1,813,072	82,990,528
Average family size	3.08	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	5,374	1,321,068	60,637,388
Other families	1,810	492,004	22,353,140
Male householder	642	135,443	6,572,819
Female householder	1,168	356,561	15,780,321
Non-family households	4,042	1,011,205	46,236,968
One-person households	3,185	832,106	37,140,836
Male householder	1,522	377,158	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	620	115,070	5,225,110
Female householder	1,663	454,948	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	922	220,217	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	857	179,099	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

12,335

housing units

White County 12,335

Tennessee 3,143,670

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

91% occupied

Occupied 91%

Vacant 9%

vacancy rate

White County 9%

Tennessee 10.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

76.3%

Single family houses

76.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

4.9%

Mobile homes

18.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1985

Half of houses were built before 1985, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

6.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

46.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

23.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	3.6%	11%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	63.5%	53.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	33%	35.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.4%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	1.9%	8.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.5%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	57%	45.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	15.3%	20.4%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1985	1988	1981
Total housing units	12,335	3,143,670	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

76.9% owners

Renter-occupied 23.1%

Owner-occupied 76.9%

homeownership rate

White County 76.9%

Tennessee 66.9%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.51

Owner-occupied

2.38

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

White County 2.51

Tennessee 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Total occupied units	11,226	2,824,277	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	20.1%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	36.4%	39.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.8%	15.7%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27.7%	18.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.2%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.8%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.8%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	25%	30.9%	33.1%
2 vehicles	42.4%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	28.8%	25.9%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	46%	34.1%	51.4%
Electricity	51.8%	63.7%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.4%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	1.9%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.6%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.2%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$207,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

White County

$207,200

Tennessee

$286,700

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

30.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

30.6%

Owners without a mortgage

7.3%

Renters

33.7%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Property value
Median Value	$207,200	$286,700	$332,700
Under $100,000	22.3%	13%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	25.5%	18.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	26.3%	21%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	18%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7%	15.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	3.8%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	45.3%	57.9%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	54.7%	42.1%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,167	$1,566	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$365	$464	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$849	$1,189	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

15.1%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

White County 15.1%

Tennessee 31.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

15.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

White County 15.6%

Tennessee 10%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

5,288

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

1.9%

K–12

82.3%

College / Undergraduate

12.6%

Graduate / Professional

3.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

24.8%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

White County

24.8%

Tennessee

36.1%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	5,288	1,593,794	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	1.9%	5.4%	5.7%
K–12	82.3%	70.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.7%	5.3%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	28.5%	21%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.9%	21.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.2%	22.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	15.8%	24%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.6%	18.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.2%	5.3%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	24.8%	36.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	81.7%	79.8%	82%
Private school	18.3%	20.2%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

20,245

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

11.4%

HS graduate

39.6%

Some college no degree

22.3%

Associates degree

7.3%

Bachelors degree

9.8%

Graduate or professional degree

5.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

64.6% · 35.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

62.9% · 37.1%

HS graduate

50% · 50%

Some college no degree

45% · 55%

Associates degree

35.7% · 64.3%

Bachelors degree

47.7% · 52.3%

Graduate or professional degree

33.6% · 66.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Population (25+)	20,245	4,870,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4.2%	3.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	11.4%	6.3%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	39.6%	31.2%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.3%	19.9%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.3%	7.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.1%	31.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	9.8%	19.4%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.3%	11.7%	14.1%
High School or higher	84.3%	90%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$37,487

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$35,668

HS graduate

$32,356

Some college or associates

$35,389

Bachelors degree

$45,694

Graduate or professional degree

$59,629

Poverty Rate

7.1%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22%

HS graduate

12.3%

Some college or associates

10.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	White County	Tennessee	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$37,487	$48,058	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$35,668	$31,689	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$32,356	$38,347	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$35,389	$44,566	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$45,694	$61,810	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$59,629	$76,817	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22%	27.9%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	12.3%	15.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	10.6%	9.7%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.1%	4.3%	4.5%

Insights for White County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.