United States › Tennessee › Fentress County COUNTY
Fentress County Tennessee · 20,322 residents (2025 est.) · 499 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Fentress County is home to 19,309 people in Tennessee. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 15% of adults. The median age is 46.9, about 8 years above the US median. Owners hold 83% of the housing stock. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $168,200, having roughly tripled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 80%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,625 in 2000
20,322 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 35 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
14K 16K 17K 18K 20K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Fentress County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $51,149
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $23,238 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $12,999 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 23.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.487 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6.3%
Public administration 2.9%
Education & health services 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.5%
Transportation & warehousing 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$168,200
+80%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $51,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$709
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $322 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 79.1% in 2000
17.4% rent
from 16.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.61 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 34.6% 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 98.8%(16,419)
Hispanic / Latino 0.5%(90)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 94%(18,160)
Hispanic / Latino 2.1%(413)
from 5 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 18 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 11 more ancestry groups with data from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 57.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 21.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 79.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 50.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 59.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 24.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 62.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 83.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 98.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 28.7%(2,263)
Women 15+
Never married 21.2%(1,728)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 37.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 28.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 35.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 51.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 54.4% 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) 12.5%(179)
Share of the 1,430 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
Drill deeper
Places similar to Fentress County Head to head
Compare Fentress County to nearby counties FENTRESS COUNTY VS
Pickett County
Income $49,030 −4%
Home value $178,500 +6%
Population 5,219 −74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FENTRESS COUNTY VS
Overton County
Income $48,959 −4%
Home value $173,200 +3%
Population 23,787 +17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FENTRESS COUNTY VS
Morgan County
Income $65,954 +29%
Home value $166,300 −1%
Population 22,160 +9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FENTRESS COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income $44,711 −13%
Home value $124,900 −26%
Population 22,671 +12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Fentress County, Tennessee? Fentress County, Tennessee has about 19,309 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Fentress County, Tennessee? The typical household in Fentress County, Tennessee earns about $51,149 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Fentress County, Tennessee expensive? In Fentress County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $168,200, and the typical rent is about $709 a month.
How educated are people in Fentress County, Tennessee? About 14.6% of adults age 25 and over in Fentress County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Fentress County, Tennessee? About 21.0% of people in Fentress County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Fentress County, Tennessee grown since 1990? Yes, Fentress County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,640 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 