COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Carter County

Tennessee · 51,505 residents · 341 sq mi

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The short version

Carter County is a county of 51,505 people in Tennessee. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. Median home value sits at $43,500. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. At a median age of 36.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 23% less than in Tennessee as a whole.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.1

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 16%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

51,505

−9%vs 2000

vs 56,742 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.1

−6%vs 2000

vs 38.5 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

341 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202457K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 55.7%(2,945)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 95.9%(3,022)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.3%(3,234)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.6%(3,903)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247.7%(3,944)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.1%(7,794)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.4%(7,420)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5412.4%(6,376)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.8%(5,049)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.7%(4,506)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.2%(2,671)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.2%(641)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,140

−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $27,371 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,809

−33%vs 2000

vs $14,678 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

18.0%

+1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.9% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$43,500

−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $68,300 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$282

−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $393 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

76.3%

+1.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 74.9% in 2000

23.7% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.9%(54,996)

Black1%(558)

Hispanic / Latino0.9%(504)

Asian0.3%(145)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.5%(50,721)

Black0.8%(437)

Hispanic / Latino0.4%(199)

Asian0.3%(143)

Other0.4%(204)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican0.8%(446)

Central American0.6%(321)

Cuban0.3%(162)

Puerto Rican0.3%(156)

Honduran0.2%(123)

Guatemalan0.1%(70)

Salvadoran0.1%(70)

Nicaraguan0.1%(58)

Spaniard0.1%(30)

Dominican0%(19)

South American0%(17)

Ecuadorian0%(12)

+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data

Argentine0%(5)

Asian origin

Korean0.1%(58)

Chinese0%(5)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.1%(71)

Ancestry

American25.4%(14,415)

English14.8%(8,412)

German10%(5,652)

Irish8.4%(4,751)

Scottish2.8%(1,595)

Scotch-Irish2.6%(1,459)

Italian1.3%(722)

Polish0.7%(419)

French0.7%(415)

Dutch0.7%(371)

Welsh0.5%(303)

Subsaharan African0.4%(217)

+ 28 more ancestry groups with data

Norwegian0.3%(186)

Swedish0.3%(170)

British0.2%(138)

French Canadian0.2%(136)

Hungarian0.2%(112)

Kenyan0.2%(97)

Arab0.2%(91)

Ethiopian0.1%(80)

Greek0.1%(79)

Danish0.1%(77)

Swiss0.1%(68)

Egyptian0.1%(61)

Portuguese0.1%(52)

Slovak0.1%(42)

Russian0.1%(40)

Lithuanian0.1%(39)

Canadian0.1%(37)

Ukrainian0.1%(30)

Croatian0%(19)

Syrian0%(18)

Australian0%(13)

Czech0%(12)

Belgian0%(11)

Turkish0%(10)

Finnish0%(9)

Slovene0%(9)

West Indian0%(6)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(6)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Scottish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

10.8%

−2.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 12.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

57.5%

−11.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 69.1% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.3%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

20.4 min

+32%vs 2000

vs 15.4 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 married29.2%(6,920)

Married51.6%(12,238)

Widowed5.1%(1,220)

Divorced14.1%(3,348)

Women 15+

Never married23.3%(5,863)

Married47.6%(11,965)

Widowed12.8%(3,218)

Divorced16.2%(4,074)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

11.7%

−3.7 ptssince 2013

from 15.4% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

40.7%

−1.8 ptssince 2020

from 42.5% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

12.2%

−1.1 ptssince 2020

from 13.3% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

26.5%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 25.3% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

23.6%

+0.5 ptssince 2020

from 23.1% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

5.1%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 4.5% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

53.5%

−2.0 ptssince 2020

from 55.5% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

46.9%

+1.1 ptssince 2020

from 45.8% 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)25.7%(1,046)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(860)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era42.4%(1,727)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War7.6%(309)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.7%(29)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,073 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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