Parsons, Decatur County, Tennessee Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Parsons, Tennessee, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Parsons, Tennessee. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Parsons, Tennessee. The estimated population of Parsons, Tennessee is 2,462 people, with a median age of 42.

We can look at the total population in Parsons over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
2,462
-4.76% +2.46%
2020
2,585
+14.03%
-
2019
2,267
+0.18%
-
2018
2,263
-5.83% -
2017
2,403
- -

Population of Parsons, Tennessee by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
92.7%
85.1%
+8.93%
Black/African American
5.2%
2.1%
+147.62%
Native
0%
0%
0.00%
Hispanic
0.6%
6.5%
-90.77%
Asian
0.2%
1.5%
-86.67%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.2%
4.8%
-75.00%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Parsons, Tennessee by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 42 -6.87% 39.2 -1.26% 52.7 -2.23%
2020 45.1 +5.13% 39.7 -5.48% 53.9 +23.34%
2019 42.9 +5.15% 42 +4.22% 43.7 +4.55%
2018 40.8 -3.55% 40.3 +3.07% 41.8 -5.43%
2017 42.3 - 39.1 - 44.2 -

The median age of Parsons, Tennessee gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 104 +46.16% 131 -1.36% 138 122
10 to 19 170 +22.42% 204 -45.73% 207 118
20 to 29 183 11.76% 146 2.59% 170 144
30 to 39 103 +18.37% 143 -29.01% 109 104
40 to 49 121 +22.41% 172 -17.27% 143 121
50 to 59 143 +13.32% 145 1.81% 150 144
60 to 69 134 +54.49% 119 +14.19% 210 133
70+ 115 -16.94% 270 +49.4% 92 357

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Parsons, Tennessee is $31,293.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Parsons.

  • Under 25
    $48,424.00
  • 25 to 44
    $72,455.00
  • 45 to 64
    $30,438.00
  • 65 and over
    $21,985.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Parsons, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Parsons, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Parsons, Tennessee is currently $51,298.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.74% of households in Parsons are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Parsons against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    42.83%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.70%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.95%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    9.22%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    3.38%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.18%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.74%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Parsons is $22,769.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Parsons by the total population of Parsons.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Parsons, Tennessee, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Parsons to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    6.55%
  • Bachelor's degree
    10.98%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    18.90%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    60.82%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.75%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Parsons that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Parsons over the age of 16 is 1,959.

Of those people, a total of 51.90% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Parsons is 46.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 82 100.00% 18.30%
20 to 24 years 136 75.00% 16.70%
25 to 29 years 178 100.00% 3.90%
30 to 34 years 92 78.30% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 328 74.40% 14.30%
45 to 54 years 160 51.90% 25.30%
55 to 59 years 191 51.30% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 184 37.00% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 266 29.30% 10.30%
75 years and over 342 3.50% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Parsons. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 1,804 51.20% 6.70%
Black or African American 114 64.00% 56.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 6 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 16 93.80% 0.00%
Two or more races 19 0.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 16 93.80% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 1,804 51.20% 6.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Parsons as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Parsons is 914, with median earnings of $31,144.00.

Women in Parsons, Tennessee earning approximately 71.50% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 914 $31,144.00
Male 475 $36,719.00
Female 439 $26,250.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 60 $45,882.00
Business and Financial 44 $56,161.00
Computer and Mathematical 7 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 11 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 31 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 27 $53,750.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 82 $46,591.00
Healthcare Support 15 $0.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 7 $0.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 106 $15,904.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 37 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 56 $21,719.00
Sales 30 $16,667.00
Office and Administrative Support 63 $63,427.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 27 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 40 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 45 $32,344.00
Production 157 $42,875.00
Transportation and Material Moving 24 $0.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 33 $0.00 27 $0.00
Business and Financial 7 $0.00 37 $55,848.00
Computer and Mathematical 7 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 11 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 0 $0.00 31 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 19 $0.00 8 $0.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 19 $46,023.00 63 $64,583.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 15 $0.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 7 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 57 $0.00 49 $15,144.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 3 $0.00 34 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 6 $0.00 50 $21,250.00
Sales 13 $0.00 17 $12,917.00
Office and Administrative Support 39 $63,427.00 24 $58,750.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 27 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 40 $0.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 45 $32,344.00 0 $0.00
Production 100 $58,971.00 57 $27,798.00
Transportation and Material Moving 4 $0.00 20 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 976 households in Parsons, with an average household size of 2.41 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 510 families in Parsons with an average family size of 3.44 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 358 48 104 466
Average Household Size 3.54 3.1 3.86 1.15
Total Families 358 48 104 0
Average Household Size 3.54 2.77 3.41 0

Poverty

Of the 510 families in Parsons, 12.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Parsons:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 1,239 housing units in Parsons, Tennessee.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 976 78.77%
Vacant 263 21.23%

23.49% of the total 1,239 housing units in Parsons are rental units. This is approximately 291 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 682 are occupied by the owner - or 55.04% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Parsons is $630.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Parsons that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    3
  • Less than $500
    120
  • $500 to $999
    150
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    21
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Parsons is $92,100.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Parsons that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    51
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    346
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    35
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    120
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    79
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    48
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    3
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Parsons. The chart below shows the number of properties in Parsons that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    111
  • 1940 to 1949
    82
  • 1950 to 1959
    73
  • 1960 to 1969
    180
  • 1970 to 1979
    325
  • 1980 to 1989
    232
  • 1990 to 1999
    71
  • 2000 to 2009
    128
  • 2010 to 2013
    37
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Parsons that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    64
  • 1 vehicle available
    377
  • 2 vehicles available
    349
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    186

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Parsons get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Parsons that commute to work in a particular way.

17.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Parsons.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    139
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    96
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    148
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    80
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    99
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    63
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    83
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    21
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    0
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    51
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    6
  • 90 or more minutes
    3

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Parsons, Tennessee in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.