United States › Tennessee › Decatur CITY
Decatur Tennessee · 1,637 residents (2025 est.) · 3.80 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Decatur is a city of 1,898 people in Tennessee. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 34.3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Households here earn about 39% less than in Tennessee as a whole. The population is up 36% since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
11% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 73%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 1,395 in 2000
1,637 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
500 / sq mi
+13%since 2009
from 442 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
1K 1K 2K 2K 2K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Decatur Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $42,578
−21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,402 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,784 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 15.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.578 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.4%
Education & health services 3.3%
Transportation & warehousing 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
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$220,900
+73%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$847
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $352 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 66.6% in 2000
42.3% rent
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.43 people
+17%since 2009
from 2.07 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 21.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 97.9%(1,366)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 91.3%(1,733)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(18)
from 8 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 4 more ancestry groups with data from 9.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 63.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 2.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 17.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 53.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 58.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 19.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 22.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 77.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 78.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 99.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 31.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 27.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 37.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 43.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 58.4% 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) 9%(12)
Gulf War (1990s) 13.5%(18)
Share of the 133 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.
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Decatur, Tennessee? Decatur, Tennessee has about 1,898 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Decatur, Tennessee? The typical household in Decatur, Tennessee earns about $42,578 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Decatur, Tennessee expensive? In Decatur, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $220,900, and the typical rent is about $847 a month.
How educated are people in Decatur, Tennessee? About 11.1% of adults age 25 and over in Decatur, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Decatur, Tennessee? About 34.3% of people in Decatur, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Decatur, Tennessee grown since 1990? Yes, Decatur, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 537 residents, a change of about 39 percent over that period.
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