Population 4,167 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spencer
Household size in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.83 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Spencer has 2.47 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.58, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.2 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.1 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Spencer skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the center.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Spencer, well below the national share of 11.6%. Spencer has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
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 Spencer
Renters in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Spencer is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 64.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the south.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Spencer: 13.7% of homes are empty, 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. Spencer has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of Tennessee cities.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Spencer is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across Tennessee. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west has the oldest housing.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $366 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $518 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $616 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $722 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$356 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Spencer runs $722 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 25.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the center. Of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have lower rents.
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 Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Spencer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 8.6%, against 35.6% nationally. No other Tennessee city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.8% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.2% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.3% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Spencer never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Spencer has the lowest share of high school graduates of any Tennessee city with 5,000+ people.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Spencer has been low: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Spencer has lower unemployment than the great majority of Tennessee cities. 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).
Spencer compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | 2.47 | 44.5 | 6.6% | 14.7% | 13.7% | 1985 | $722 | 8.6% | 78.3% | 2.5% |
| Sampson | 2.62 | 42.0 | 7.6% | 8.4% | 17.5% | 1988 | $786 | 14.9% | 83.6% | 1.8% |
| Dodson | 2.43 | 49.4 | 4.8% | 19.2% | 6.6% | 1981 | $833 | 12.8% | 84.3% | 3.6% |
| Cummingsville | 2.51 | 44.9 | 5.3% | 14.3% | 7.4% | 1980 | $765 | 14.6% | 82.5% | 3.5% |
| Mount Crest | 2.65 | 42.6 | 5.2% | 7.4% | 18.5% | 1995 | $829 | 14.3% | 80.9% | 2.7% |
| Sparkman | 2.88 | 38.1 | 4.7% | 14.8% | 9.3% | 1977 | $856 | 15.5% | 88.9% | 4.9% |
| River Hill | 2.77 | 39.4 | 4.1% | 13.6% | 5.9% | 1984 | $995 | 17.1% | 79.3% | 4.3% |
| Welchland | 2.66 | 39.0 | 10.6% | 7.7% | 18.2% | 1980 | $744 | 15.7% | 85.7% | 0.5% |
| Emery Mill | 2.96 | 41.4 | 9.7% | 22.1% | 17.2% | 1992 | $827 | 9.9% | 80.0% | 2.0% |
| Lost Creek | 2.70 | 40.6 | 3.9% | 13.3% | 8.3% | 1983 | $1,035 | 16.2% | 80.4% | 4.8% |
| Pikeville | 2.78 | 45.5 | 11.0% | 22.1% | 16.9% | 1986 | $778 | 14.4% | 82.3% | 1.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Clarkdale, AZ · Colquitt, GA · Cogan Station, PA · Cloverdale, IN · Clinton, AR · Clifton, TX · Clifton Springs, NY · Clifton Forge, VA · Cleveland, NC · Clearwater, MN
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 Spencer. 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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