CensusEasy
CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Cookeville

Tennessee · 23,923 residents · 35.8 sq mi
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The short version

Cookeville is a city of 23,923 people in Tennessee. 45% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 29.0. The poverty rate is 23.2%, above the 12.4% national rate. That trails the Tennessee median by roughly 27%. The median household earns $26,533, about 38% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 29.0
US median: 35.2
More educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

23,923
+10%since 1990
from 21,744 in 1990
1990 – 2025
29.0
+2%since 1990
from 28.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
35.8 sq mi
Population, 19902024
20K25K29K33K38K19902000201020202024Cookeville
202436K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.3%(1,279)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95%(1,193)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.7%(1,114)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 1910.3%(2,453)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2417.9%(4,281)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(3,314)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4411.3%(2,692)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.1%(2,427)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.9%(1,886)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.7%(1,605)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.3%(1,256)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.8%(423)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$26,533
−2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $20,646 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$17,684
+49%since 1990
from $11,852 in 1990
US average: $21,522
23.2%
+4.3 ptssince 1990
from 18.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$100,200
+23%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $61,900 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$454
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $317 in 1990
US average: $602
45.5%
−4.8 ptssince 1990
from 50.3% in 1990
54.5% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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

28.2%
+3.8 ptssince 1990
from 24.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
74.1%
+4.4 ptssince 1990
from 69.6% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
12.1%
+0.9 ptssince 1990
from 11.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

11.5 min
−7%since 1990
from 12.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.5%(4,573)
Married45%(4,622)
Widowed1.8%(190)
Divorced8.7%(894)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(3,027)
Married44.9%(4,551)
Widowed11.7%(1,186)
Divorced13.6%(1,381)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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 23,923 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Cookeville, Tennessee?

The typical household in Cookeville, Tennessee earns about $26,533 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 $100,200, and the typical rent is about $454 a month.

How educated are people in Cookeville, Tennessee?

About 28.2% 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 23.2% 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 2,179 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →