CITY
Cookeville
Tennessee · 38,212 residents (2025 est.) · 35.8 sq mi
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Part of the Cookeville micropolitan area
The short version
With 36,088 people, Cookeville is a city in Tennessee. This skews young, with a median age of 29.8. 41% of homes are owner-occupied. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 12,165 people. The poverty rate is 23.5%, above the 12.5% national rate. Households here earn about 26% less than in Tennessee as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.8
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 67%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
36,088
+51%since 2000
from 23,923 in 2000
38,212 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
35.8 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202436K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(1,825)
5 to 95.5%(1,979)
10 to 145.3%(1,913)
15 to 1910.3%(3,726)
20 to 2416%(5,761)
25 to 3415.4%(5,555)
35 to 4410.5%(3,774)
45 to 549.7%(3,499)
55 to 648.6%(3,096)
65 to 747.7%(2,761)
75 to 844.5%(1,632)
85 and over1.6%(567)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$51,375
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,533 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
35.3%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information15.3%
Retail trade12.5%
Wholesale trade5.4%
Finance & insurance4.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
Other services3.9%
Public administration3%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
Education & health services0.5%
Construction0.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$305,400
+67%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.9
+39%since 2009
from 4.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
72
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.6%(21,439)
Black2.9%(692)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(1,009)
Asian1.9%(445)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.2%(28,213)
Black3.4%(1,226)
Hispanic / Latino12%(4,336)
Asian1.9%(695)
Other4.5%(1,618)
46
+67%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Central American6.4%(2,309)
Guatemalan5.3%(1,921)
Mexican2.9%(1,063)
South American1%(355)
Puerto Rican1%(343)
Salvadoran0.6%(231)
Colombian0.6%(209)
Peruvian0.3%(112)
Panamanian0.3%(98)
Spaniard0.2%(72)
Honduran0.2%(59)
Cuban0.1%(30)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(26)
Uruguayan0%(8)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(162)
Vietnamese0.4%(147)
Laotian0.4%(145)
Chinese0.2%(85)
Filipino0.2%(62)
Burmese0.1%(29)
Japanese0.1%(21)
Malaysian0.1%(19)
Bangladeshi0%(11)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0%(12)
Ancestry
American15.4%(5,571)
English14.4%(5,206)
German10.5%(3,792)
Irish8.7%(3,149)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(873)
Scottish2.4%(873)
Italian1.7%(616)
French1.5%(559)
Subsaharan African1.3%(485)
Ghanaian1%(375)
Norwegian0.8%(293)
Dutch0.7%(263)
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.7%(256)
Arab0.6%(226)
Swedish0.6%(217)
British0.4%(151)
Danish0.4%(131)
Welsh0.3%(114)
Portuguese0.3%(103)
Hungarian0.3%(92)
French Canadian0.2%(85)
Swiss0.2%(68)
Greek0.2%(66)
West Indian0.1%(51)
Russian0.1%(47)
Jamaican0.1%(43)
Lebanese0.1%(39)
Czech0.1%(39)
Egyptian0.1%(34)
Austrian0.1%(34)
Slovak0.1%(34)
Ukrainian0.1%(34)
Finnish0.1%(29)
Nigerian0.1%(24)
Palestinian0.1%(23)
Armenian0%(18)
Bulgarian0%(14)
Iranian0%(13)
Lithuanian0%(8)
Canadian0%(7)
Brazilian0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.4%
+14.4 ptssince 2000
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 69.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.6%
+6.7 ptssince 2020
from 88.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.8%(7,473)
Married39.8%(5,976)
Widowed2.1%(311)
Divorced8.3%(1,252)
Women 15+
Never married38.6%(5,921)
Married40.1%(6,162)
Widowed9%(1,379)
Divorced12.4%(1,897)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
22.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 22.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.5%
−4.5 ptssince 2020
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 30.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)20.6%(301)
Gulf War (1990s)20.6%(300)
Vietnam era38.3%(558)
Korean War6.5%(95)
World War II0.5%(8)
Share of the 1,458 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
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cookeville, Tennessee?
Cookeville, Tennessee has about 36,088 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cookeville, Tennessee?
The typical household in Cookeville, Tennessee earns about $51,375 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cookeville, Tennessee expensive?
In Cookeville, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $305,400, and the typical rent is about $917 a month.
How educated are people in Cookeville, Tennessee?
About 34.8% of adults age 25 and over in Cookeville, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cookeville, Tennessee?
About 23.5% of people in Cookeville, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cookeville, Tennessee grown since 1990?
Yes, Cookeville, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 14,344 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.
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TennesseeDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024