CensusEasy
CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Cookeville

Tennessee · 21,744 residents · 35.8 sq mi
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The short version

Cookeville is home to 21,744 people in Tennessee. 50% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 28.5. Getting to work takes 12 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $61,900. The median household earns $20,646, about 31% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 28.5
US median: 33.0
More educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 19%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

21,744
−9%vs 2000
vs 23,923 in 2000
1990 – 2025
28.5
−2%vs 2000
vs 29.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
35.8 sq mi
Population, 19902024
20K25K29K33K38K19902000201020202024Cookeville
202436K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55%(1,093)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 95%(1,090)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.8%(1,033)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 1911.7%(2,535)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2418%(3,916)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3414.5%(3,144)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4411.5%(2,494)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.7%(1,893)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.1%(1,755)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.5%(1,627)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.2%(915)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.1%(249)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$20,646
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $26,533 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$11,852
−33%vs 2000
vs $17,684 in 2000
US average: $14,340
18.9%
−4.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 23.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$61,900
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $100,200 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$317
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $454 in 2000
US average: $450
50.3%
+4.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 45.5% in 2000
49.7% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.6%(21,439)
Black2.9%(692)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(1,009)
Asian1.9%(445)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic95.1%(20,682)
Black2.5%(546)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(187)
Asian2.1%(453)
Other0.3%(63)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Central American6.4%(2,309)
Guatemalan5.3%(1,921)
Mexican2.9%(1,063)
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)
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)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
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)
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)
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)
Section 05

Education

24.4%
−3.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 28.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
69.6%
−4.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.1% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
11.2%
−0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 12.1% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

12.4 min
+7%vs 2000
vs 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

13.2%
−6.2 ptssince 2013
from 19.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
50.7%
−4.0 ptssince 2020
from 54.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
22.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 22.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
15.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
17.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.6%(300)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.3%(558)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.5%(95)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(8)
US avg: 1%

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 21,744 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Cookeville, Tennessee?

The typical household in Cookeville, Tennessee earns about $20,646 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 $61,900, and the typical rent is about $317 a month.

How educated are people in Cookeville, Tennessee?

About 24.4% 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 18.9% of people in Cookeville, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →