McNairy County, Tennessee Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for McNairy 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 McNairy County, Tennessee. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in McNairy County, Tennessee. The estimated population of McNairy County, Tennessee is 25,916 people, with a median age of 42.8.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
25,916
+0.4%
-0.11%
2020
25,814
 -0.12% -
2019
25,844
 -0.23% -
2018
25,903
 -0.16% -
2017
25,945
 - -

Population of McNairy 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
89.4%
90.1%
 -0.78%
Black/African American
5.8%
5.7%
 +1.75%
Native
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%
Hispanic
2.4%
2%
 +20.00%
Asian
0.5%
0.1%
 +400.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.6%
1.8%
 -11.11%
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 McNairy 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 42.8 -1.83% 41.8 -1.18% 44.5 -1.33%
2020 43.6 +0.23% 42.3 +0.71% 45.1 +1.58%
2019 43.5 +1.4% 42 +2.44% 44.4 -0.22%
2018 42.9 +0.47% 41 -0.24% 44.5 +0.45%
2017 42.7 - 41.1 - 44.3 -

The median age of McNairy 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 1,585 -7.67% 1,511 +7.4% 1,458 1,625
10 to 19 1,682 +5.18% 1,524 -12.15% 1,763 1,342
20 to 29 1,464 +1.39% 1,502 +5.97% 1,484 1,592
30 to 39 1,483 -1.79% 1,489 -7.41% 1,450 1,381
40 to 49 1,600 +1.93% 1,622 -5.44% 1,627 1,534
50 to 59 1,672 -2.64% 1,826 +6.15% 1,625 1,939
60 to 69 1,709 -6.69% 1,833 -7.71% 1,590 1,693
70+ 1,477 +16.99% 1,966 +5.37% 1,742 2,071

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of McNairy County, Tennessee is $42,691.00.

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 McNairy County.

  • Under 25
    $30,000.00
  • 25 to 44
    $59,556.00
  • 45 to 64
    $53,519.00
  • 65 and over
    $27,870.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in McNairy 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 McNairy County, Tennessee is currently $57,349.00.

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.

3.41% of households in McNairy 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 McNairy County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    29.57%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    26.58%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.77%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    10.24%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    8.26%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2.17%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.41%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in McNairy County is $22,939.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in McNairy 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 McNairy 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
    7.84%
  • Bachelor's degree
    11.85%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    9.57%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    68.16%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.58%

Employment

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

The total population of McNairy County over the age of 16 is 21,098.

Of those people, a total of 49.00% 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 McNairy County is 45.80%.

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 1,370 29.20% 33.80%
20 to 24 years 1,377 67.60% 12.60%
25 to 29 years 1,699 72.00% 5.10%
30 to 34 years 1,354 65.40% 11.90%
35 to 44 years 2,962 80.70% 5.20%
45 to 54 years 3,402 65.40% 1.90%
55 to 59 years 1,838 54.50% 2.80%
60 to 64 years 1,777 43.80% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 3,133 12.60% 1.30%
75 years and over 2,186 5.10% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in McNairy 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 19,342 48.70% 5.20%
Black or African American 1,319 55.60% 15.80%
American Indian and Alaska Native 62 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 65 3.10% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 118 64.40% 0.00%
Two or more races 192 58.30% 13.40%
Hispanic or Latino 429 57.80% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 19,054 48.60% 5.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in McNairy 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 McNairy County is 9,666, with median earnings of $36,221.00.

Women in McNairy County, Tennessee earning approximately 76.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 9,666 $36,221.00
Male 5,287 $39,501.00
Female 4,379 $30,173.00

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 722 $61,711.00
Business and Financial 253 $57,292.00
Computer and Mathematical 54 $76,204.00
Architecture and Engineering 100 $61,324.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 14 $53,864.00
Community and Social Service 211 $43,317.00
Legal 39 $25,096.00
Educational and Library 731 $29,625.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 123 $18,802.00
Healthcare Practitioners 588 $52,378.00
Healthcare Support 150 $30,089.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 280 $27,443.00
Law Enforcement 48 $33,750.00
Food Preparation and Serving 413 $15,672.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 298 $37,031.00
Personal Care and Service 123 $21,276.00
Sales 836 $31,286.00
Office and Administrative Support 915 $32,656.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 67 $38,750.00
Construction and Extraction 570 $35,079.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 420 $40,133.00
Production 1,544 $38,049.00
Transportation and Material Moving 440 $39,464.00

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 421 $77,083.00 301 $53,079.00
Business and Financial 108 $39,464.00 145 $60,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 40 $76,852.00 14 $41,667.00
Architecture and Engineering 82 $58,750.00 18 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 14 $53,864.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 61 $53,194.00 150 $42,308.00
Legal 19 $0.00 20 $0.00
Educational and Library 66 $38,750.00 665 $27,301.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 80 $12,115.00 43 $27,125.00
Healthcare Practitioners 90 $145,333.00 498 $49,545.00
Healthcare Support 18 $0.00 132 $30,893.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 166 $38,468.00 114 $8,804.00
Law Enforcement 33 $42,321.00 15 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 60 $14,167.00 353 $15,838.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 209 $41,033.00 89 $24,292.00
Personal Care and Service 30 $51,447.00 93 $20,703.00
Sales 453 $40,917.00 383 $22,375.00
Office and Administrative Support 203 $44,432.00 712 $32,083.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 31 $39,632.00 36 $38,125.00
Construction and Extraction 451 $31,191.00 119 $37,182.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 420 $40,133.00 0 $0.00
Production 1,307 $41,750.00 237 $25,670.00
Transportation and Material Moving 400 $40,217.00 40 $4,881.00

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 9,818 households in McNairy County, with an average household size of 2.61 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 6,525 families in McNairy County with an average family size of 3.24 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 5,046 544 935 3,293
Average Household Size 3.26 3.4 3.71 1.17
Total Families 5,046 544 935 0
Average Household Size 3.22 2.93 3.52 0

Poverty

Of the 6,525 families in McNairy County, 13.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in McNairy 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 12,232 housing units in McNairy County, Tennessee.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 9,818 80.26%
Vacant 2,414 19.74%

14.88% of the total 12,232 housing units in McNairy County are rental units. This is approximately 1,820 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 7,551 are occupied by the owner - or 61.73% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in McNairy County is $639.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in McNairy 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
    447
  • Less than $500
    473
  • $500 to $999
    1,281
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    66
  • $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 McNairy County is $111,000.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    1,174
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    2,241
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,760
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    969
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    874
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    329
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    148
  • $1,000,000 or more
    56

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    478
  • 1940 to 1949
    456
  • 1950 to 1959
    867
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,422
  • 1970 to 1979
    2,510
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,793
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,478
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,620
  • 2010 to 2013
    608
  • 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 McNairy County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    331
  • 1 vehicle available
    3,114
  • 2 vehicles available
    3,540
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,833

Commuting to Work

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

26.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in McNairy 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
    276
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    899
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,123
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,342
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,417
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    610
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,441
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    283
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    215
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    728
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    343
  • 90 or more minutes
    325

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for McNairy 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 McNairy County, Tennessee

We have data for 15 places in McNairy County, Tennessee. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.