Population 26,240 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Macon County
Household size in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | −0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Macon County holds 2.83 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.62, even as the national average fell. Only one other Tennessee county has larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 36.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 37.3 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.1 | 38.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Macon County are younger than 39.1 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 38.4 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.7% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.6% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Macon County as they are nationally: 11.5%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.6 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Macon County
Renters in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 31.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.9% | 34.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 34.2% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.4% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +3.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Macon County rent their homes (26.4%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 45.1% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 1.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 9.1% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 8.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.2% of the housing in Macon County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1984 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1988 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1992 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +9 | +6 | +6 |
Macon County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $524 | $905 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $566 | $986 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $694 | $1,212 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $869 | $1,653 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$345 | +$749 | +$526 | +$606 |
The median renter in Macon County pays $869 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $345 a month from 2006–10, a 66% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Macon County
Bachelor's degrees in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 30.1% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 32.0% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 36.3% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 41.0% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +10.9 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Macon County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Macon County has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Tennessee counties.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 86.5% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.5% | 88.0% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.0% | 90.0% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.4% | 91.7% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +5.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Macon County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 9.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only five of Tennessee's 95 counties have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Macon County runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 7.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Macon County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 2.83 | 39.1 | 11.5% | 26.4% | 15.2% | 1989 | $869 | 12.9% | 82.4% | 3.8% |
| Clay County | 2.22 | 45.5 | 12.8% | 25.6% | 13.8% | 1985 | $585 | 11.9% | 86.5% | 9.4% |
| Robertson County | 2.68 | 39.3 | 11.6% | 22.4% | 6.3% | 1992 | $1,364 | 22.4% | 90.3% | 3.4% |
| Pickett County | 2.31 | 52.1 | 4.5% | 16.6% | 28.5% | 1990 | $647 | 19.0% | 85.1% | 6.9% |
| Montgomery County | 2.67 | 33.5 | 14.0% | 38.1% | 7.4% | 1997 | $1,454 | 31.8% | 94.4% | 5.3% |
| Scott County | 2.53 | 41.3 | 14.3% | 28.4% | 11.3% | 1988 | $755 | 12.9% | 81.2% | 7.2% |
| Stewart County | 2.64 | 43.2 | 5.9% | 18.9% | 21.0% | 1988 | $920 | 17.6% | 89.5% | 2.4% |
| Calloway County | 2.32 | 38.3 | 11.3% | 36.1% | 16.4% | 1983 | $871 | 33.3% | 91.7% | 4.2% |
| Bell County | 2.34 | 39.9 | 14.5% | 41.2% | 14.0% | 1980 | $624 | 18.0% | 80.3% | 9.6% |
| Claiborne County | 2.30 | 42.5 | 11.2% | 27.8% | 12.8% | 1987 | $750 | 18.0% | 84.2% | 4.4% |
| Hancock County | 2.39 | 45.1 | 8.8% | 25.4% | 21.7% | 1984 | $619 | 11.0% | 76.9% | 7.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Transylvania County, NC · Catano Municipio, PR · Cedar County, IA · Chaffee County, CO · Chambers County, AL · Charlevoix County, MI · Cheboygan County, MI · Cherokee County, NC · Chester County, SC · Chickasaw County, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Macon County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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