Hamilton County, Tennessee Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Hamilton County, 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 Hamilton County, Tennessee. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The estimated population of Hamilton County, Tennessee is 363,790 people, with a median age of 39.6.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
363,790
 -0.25% +2.59%
2020
364,718
+1.05%
-
2019
360,919
+0.94%
-
2018
357,546
+0.83%
-
2017
354,589
 - -

Population of Hamilton County, 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
70.3%
71.4%
 -1.54%
Black/African American
18.3%
19.3%
 -5.18%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
6%
5.3%
 +13.21%
Asian
2%
2%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.8%
1.7%
 +64.71%
Other
0.4%
0.1%
 +300.00%

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 Hamilton County, 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 39.6 -0.25% 38.3 +0.52% 41 -0.24%
2020 39.7 0% 38.1 -0.26% 41.1 0%
2019 39.7 +0.25% 38.2 +0.26% 41.1 0%
2018 39.6 +0.25% 38.1 +0.26% 41.1 +0.49%
2017 39.5 - 38 - 40.9 -

The median age of Hamilton County, 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 21,128 +4.15% 20,192 -2.21% 22,016 19,747
10 to 19 21,263 +0.98% 21,024 +6.23% 21,470 22,360
20 to 29 24,548 -2.23% 25,152 -1.39% 23,993 24,798
30 to 39 22,728 +8.15% 23,274 +5.57% 24,636 24,597
40 to 49 21,921 -0.19% 22,718 +0.87% 21,879 22,912
50 to 59 23,833 -2.78% 25,060 -5.2% 23,168 23,782
60 to 69 19,835 +7.5% 23,035 +4.01% 21,363 23,968
70+ 15,737 +13.94% 23,141 +8.35% 18,025 25,076

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Hamilton County, Tennessee is $61,050.00.

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 Hamilton County.

  • Under 25
    $33,820.00
  • 25 to 44
    $64,002.00
  • 45 to 64
    $76,611.00
  • 65 and over
    $45,627.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Hamilton County, 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 Hamilton County, Tennessee is currently $88,233.00.

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.

7.13% of households in Hamilton County 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 Hamilton County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    19.07%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.60%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    17.16%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.99%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.71%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.34%
  • $200,000 or more
    7.13%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Hamilton County is $36,964.00.

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

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

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Hamilton County 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
    14.79%
  • Bachelor's degree
    36.73%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.24%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    34.80%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.44%

Employment

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

The total population of Hamilton County over the age of 16 is 296,223.

Of those people, a total of 63.30% 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 Hamilton County is 60.40%.

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 18,026 41.80% 13.60%
20 to 24 years 21,972 80.30% 7.10%
25 to 29 years 26,819 85.30% 4.40%
30 to 34 years 25,714 85.80% 5.80%
35 to 44 years 45,552 83.30% 3.40%
45 to 54 years 45,947 81.40% 3.30%
55 to 59 years 23,761 70.50% 3.80%
60 to 64 years 24,791 56.30% 4.60%
65 to 74 years 38,061 24.70% 2.40%
75 years and over 25,580 8.00% 4.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Hamilton County. 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 222,137 63.00% 3.70%
Black or African American 52,943 64.70% 8.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native 473 46.70% 0.50%
Asian 6,127 62.20% 3.10%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 94 100.00% 26.60%
Other 4,904 68.30% 3.90%
Two or more races 9,545 63.10% 6.40%
Hispanic or Latino 13,982 70.60% 4.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 215,850 62.60% 3.70%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Hamilton County is 178,786, with median earnings of $39,340.00.

Women in Hamilton County, Tennessee earning approximately 74.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 178,786 $39,340.00
Male 93,504 $45,548.00
Female 85,282 $33,771.00

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 18,596 $75,689.00
Business and Financial 10,688 $61,172.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,870 $78,210.00
Architecture and Engineering 3,557 $79,324.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,092 $54,179.00
Community and Social Service 3,729 $41,529.00
Legal 1,555 $110,236.00
Educational and Library 9,862 $42,649.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,512 $40,659.00
Healthcare Practitioners 14,249 $59,520.00
Healthcare Support 5,195 $26,880.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 2,006 $33,471.00
Law Enforcement 1,031 $46,449.00
Food Preparation and Serving 10,078 $16,184.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 6,500 $20,883.00
Personal Care and Service 4,579 $19,246.00
Sales 18,384 $37,288.00
Office and Administrative Support 20,281 $32,849.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 309 $21,639.00
Construction and Extraction 7,849 $36,151.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 4,899 $43,095.00
Production 12,200 $37,507.00
Transportation and Material Moving 6,393 $35,710.00

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 11,837 $86,779.00 6,759 $58,527.00
Business and Financial 5,038 $72,303.00 5,650 $53,098.00
Computer and Mathematical 3,639 $80,657.00 1,231 $65,158.00
Architecture and Engineering 2,920 $86,995.00 637 $67,070.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 503 $64,236.00 589 $51,776.00
Community and Social Service 1,372 $52,026.00 2,357 $39,818.00
Legal 944 $164,625.00 611 $57,083.00
Educational and Library 2,666 $47,327.00 7,196 $41,148.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,833 $45,704.00 1,679 $36,229.00
Healthcare Practitioners 3,455 $88,438.00 10,794 $56,545.00
Healthcare Support 974 $32,296.00 4,221 $26,675.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,512 $35,884.00 494 $22,955.00
Law Enforcement 920 $46,149.00 111 $47,019.00
Food Preparation and Serving 4,308 $19,402.00 5,770 $13,597.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 4,171 $24,827.00 2,329 $18,717.00
Personal Care and Service 1,045 $17,382.00 3,534 $20,320.00
Sales 9,295 $50,738.00 9,089 $24,288.00
Office and Administrative Support 5,287 $35,195.00 14,994 $32,369.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 181 $20,962.00 128 $31,319.00
Construction and Extraction 7,637 $36,571.00 212 $28,071.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 4,658 $43,059.00 241 $52,992.00
Production 8,499 $43,268.00 3,701 $30,991.00
Transportation and Material Moving 5,298 $37,430.00 1,095 $29,042.00

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 147,419 households in Hamilton County, with an average household size of 2.39 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 90,710 families in Hamilton County with an average family size of 3.04 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 67,041 6,515 17,154 56,709
Average Household Size 3.06 3.19 3.29 1.24
Total Families 67,041 6,515 17,154 0
Average Household Size 3.04 2.86 3.14 0

Poverty

Of the 90,710 families in Hamilton County, 8.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Hamilton County:

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 161,599 housing units in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 147,419 91.23%
Vacant 14,180 8.77%

31.83% of the total 161,599 housing units in Hamilton County are rental units. This is approximately 51,433 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 93,414 are occupied by the owner - or 57.81% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Hamilton County is $966.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Hamilton County 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
    2,572
  • Less than $500
    4,890
  • $500 to $999
    22,833
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    17,793
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    4,183
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,066
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    263
  • $3,000 or more
    405

Property Value

The median value of a property in Hamilton County is $210,500.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    3,228
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    8,625
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14,539
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    17,679
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    23,755
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    17,534
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    6,532
  • $1,000,000 or more
    1,522

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    13,377
  • 1940 to 1949
    8,161
  • 1950 to 1959
    18,875
  • 1960 to 1969
    18,932
  • 1970 to 1979
    24,590
  • 1980 to 1989
    20,618
  • 1990 to 1999
    19,786
  • 2000 to 2009
    21,629
  • 2010 to 2013
    15,260
  • 2014 or later
    371

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 Hamilton County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    8,896
  • 1 vehicle available
    48,830
  • 2 vehicles available
    56,434
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    33,259

Commuting to Work

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

21.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Hamilton County.

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
    3,795
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    14,993
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    23,138
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    33,275
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    29,274
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    13,454
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    21,196
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    4,388
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    4,143
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    6,434
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    2,353
  • 90 or more minutes
    2,110

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Hamilton County, 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.

Places in Hamilton County, Tennessee

We have data for 28 places in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.