ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Bledsoe County, Tennessee

FIPS 47007 · Population 15,032
8 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$54,720
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.3%
Unemployment
4% national
6,198
Labor Force
12.4%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 15,032 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$54,720
Per Capita
$25,573
Mean Household
$67,637
Poverty Rate
20.7% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Bledsoe County$54,720
Tennessee$69,595
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 20.8% (3,132 residents) 55-64: 15.9% (2,391 residents) 35-54: 27.2% (4,083 residents) 18-34: 20.8% (3,130 residents) Under 18: 15.3% (2,296 residents) 46 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 15.3%
18-34 · 20.8%
35-54 · 27.2%
55-64 · 15.9%
65+ · 20.8%
Race & Ethnicity
White87.9%
Black or African American6.1%
Asian0.2%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)3.5%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
80.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 9.3 pts
12.4%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 23.3 pts
5.2%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 8.9 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
15,032
Population
6,198
Labor Force
Employed
6,085
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.3% ▲ +0.1 pts YoY
Mean Commute 9 min above national avg
35.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
4.1%
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
  • Elevated poverty: At 20.7%, the rate is in economically distressed territory and supports federal funding narratives (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 23.3 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
  • Aging population: Median age of 46 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
181 28.3%
$25,577
2Accommodation and Food Services
169 26.4%
$24,281
3Information
84 13.1%
$93,451
4Finance and Insurance
60 9.4%
$61,114
5Administrative and Support and Waste Management
54 8.5%
$63,456
6Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
50 7.8%
$85,639
7Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
41 6.4%
$37,401
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 181 workers (28.3% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $25,577.
  • Wage stratification: Information averages $93,451 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $24,281, a 3.8x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW.
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Bledsoe County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$189,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$830
Rent/Mo
82.5%
Owner-Occ
17.8%
Vacancy
3.5x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$738/mo
1 Bedroom
$743/mo
2 Bedroom
$975/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,169/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,636/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,368/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.5x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 82.5% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 17.8% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,368/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
9,604
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 9 min above national avg
35.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
4.1%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
62.5%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 48.7% of working-age population (18-64) 49% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
12.4%
HS Diploma+
80.3%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
26,245/yr
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 8,049/yr
University of Memphis 4,862/yr
Middle Tennessee State University 4,677/yr
East Tennessee State University 3,604/yr
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga 2,551/yr
Tennessee Technological University 2,502/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
24.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
24.7%
Service
17.5%
Sales & Office
15.9%
Construction / Maint.
24.3%
Production / Transport
17.6%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 6,085 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 24.9% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Low participation: 48.7% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 17,588 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 8 federal data sources

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Bledsoe County, Tennessee, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Bledsoe County, Tennessee?

15,032 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Bledsoe County, Tennessee?

$54,720 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Bledsoe County, Tennessee?

3.3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).