United States › Tennessee › Ripley CITY
Ripley Tennessee · 7,499 residents (2025 est.) · 12.9 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Ripley is a city of 7,658 people in Tennessee. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The poverty rate is 30.7%, above the 12.5% national rate. Owners hold 45% of the housing stock. That trails the Tennessee median by roughly 46%. This skews young, with a median age of 33.3.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 7,844 in 2000
7,499 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 591 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
6K 7K 7K 8K 9K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Ripley Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $37,432
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $23,662 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $13,710 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 27.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.496 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.3%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Public administration 0.8%
Education & health services 0.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$154,900
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$800
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $397 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 48.8% in 2000
54.8% rent
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 54.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.1 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 51.2%(4,015)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(84)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 39.1%(2,994)
Hispanic / Latino 3.8%(293)
from 69 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
+ 3 more ancestry groups with data from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 65.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 84.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 21.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 59.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 61.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 22.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 25.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 45.2%(1,265)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 25.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 37.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 41.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 47.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 55.6% 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) 32.5%(117)
Gulf War (1990s) 15.6%(56)
Share of the 360 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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Drill deeper
Places similar to Ripley Head to head
Compare Ripley to nearby cities RIPLEY VS
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RIPLEY VS
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Income $47,865 +28%
Home value $119,000 −23%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Ripley, Tennessee? Ripley, Tennessee has about 7,658 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Ripley, Tennessee? The typical household in Ripley, Tennessee earns about $37,432 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Ripley, Tennessee expensive? In Ripley, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $154,900, and the typical rent is about $800 a month.
How educated are people in Ripley, Tennessee? About 16.3% of adults age 25 and over in Ripley, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Ripley, Tennessee? About 30.7% of people in Ripley, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Ripley, Tennessee grown since 1990? Yes, Ripley, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,470 residents, a change of about 24 percent over that period.
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