Central is home to 1,938 people in Tennessee. The median age is 55.8, about 17 years above the US median. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. Households here earn about 46% less than in Tennessee as a whole. The typical home is worth $151,800, having more than doubled since 2000. 1% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $37,444, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 55.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Central
What changed most since 1990
Median age35.3 → 55.8(+20.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Population2,635 → 1,938(−26%)US over the same years: +35%
Median household income (2024 dollars)$49,060 → $37,444(−24%)US over the same years: +14%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)8.5%(10)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)0%(0)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era77.1%(91)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 118 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Central, decade by decade
Central population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
2,635
$49,060
$113,523
13.6%
1.7
2000
2,717
$52,096
$133,709
12.0%
3.5
2010
2,279
$40,985
$138,247
10.8%
11.7
2020
2,114
$27,877
$153,202
13.3%
20.4
2024
1,938
$37,444
$151,800
15.6%
7.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
