County profile

Cocke County

Tennessee · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
36,813
Median household income
$48,016
People below poverty
21.9%
Median home value
$158,100

Income

The median income of households in Cocke County, Tennessee was $48,016. An estimated 5.2% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 2.8% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 5.2
$10,000 to $14,999 5.5
$15,000 to $24,999 15.2
$25,000 to $34,999 12.2
$35,000 to $49,999 13.6
$50,000 to $74,999 17.8
$75,000 to $99,999 12.2
$100,000 to $149,999 12
$150,000 to $199,999 3.6
$200,000 or more 2.8

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 47401
Female 36615

An estimated 68.1% of households received earnings. An estimated 43.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 26.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,320. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 68.1
Social Security 43.8
Retirement income 26.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 8.1
Cash public assistance income 1.8

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 21.9 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 37.8% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 12.9% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 19.9% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 21.9
Children under 18 years below poverty 37.8
People 65 years old and over below poverty 12.9
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 19.9

In 2020-2024, 18.8 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 46.2% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 38% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 33.8% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024, 87.3% had health insurance coverage and 12.7% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 51.5% and public coverage was 50.7%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 4.2%.


In 2020-2024, Cocke County, Tennessee had a total population of 36,813 - 18,818 (51.1%) females and 17,995 (48.9%) males. The median age was 45.3 years. An estimated 20.4% of the population was under 18 years, 27.6% was 19 to 44 years, 28.3% was 45 to 64 years, and 22 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 910 948
5 to 9 1153 870
10 to 14 1087 1235
15 to 19 891 1001
20 to 24 1022 882
25 to 29 1051 995
30 to 34 1022 1105
35 to 39 859 1256
40 to 44 1127 836
45 to 49 1037 1144
50 to 54 1304 1315
55 to 59 1178 1449
60 to 64 1502 1533
65 to 69 1388 1202
70 to 74 941 1396
75 to 79 727 949
80 to 84 459 286
85 and over 337 416

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 92.8% were White; 2.2% were Black or African American; 16.8% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.5% were Asian; 1.6% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 3.2% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 3.1% of the people in Cocke County, Tennessee were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 92% of the people in Cocke County, Tennessee were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 15,509 households in Cocke County, Tennessee. The average household size was 2.35 people.

Married-couple households made up 44.1% of the households in Cocke County, Tennessee while cohabiting couple households made up 8.6% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.3% of all households, while 21% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 14.6% of households were male householders living alone, and 11.6% were female householders living alone, for a total of 26.2% of all households.

In Cocke County, Tennessee, 30.4% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 38.9% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 44.1
Cohabiting Couples 8.6
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
21
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.3

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 48.4% of males and 48.3% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 26.2 22
Now married, except separated 48.4 48.3
Separated 2.2 3.4
Widowed 5.4 12.4
Divorced 17.8 13.9

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Cocke County, Tennessee, 1,117 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 65.4% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 98.8% of the people living in Cocke County, Tennessee were U.S. natives. 66.7% of the Cocke County, Tennessee population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1.2% of Cocke County, Tennessee residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 61.6% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 67.4 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Cocke County, Tennessee come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Cocke County, Tennessee.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 45.4
Asia 26.7
Europe 19.6
Africa 0
Northern America 3.9
Oceania 4.3

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024, 2.2 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 1.6% of people at least five years old; 1.1% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 1.6
Other Indo-European languages 0.6
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 91 % of the people at least one year old living in Cocke County, Tennessee were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 91
Different house, same county 4
Different county, same state 3.6
Different state 1.4
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 84.9 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 11% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 15.1% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Cocke County, Tennessee was 6,776 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 338 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 5,669. College or graduate school enrollment was 769.

Educational Attainment of People in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 15.1
High school diploma or equivalency 46.8
Some college, no degree 20.9
Associate's degree 6.2
Bachelor's degree 6.9
Graduate or professional degree 4.1

Disability

In Cocke County, Tennessee, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 23.1 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 7% of people under 18 years old, to 21.1% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 43.3% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Cocke County, Tennessee, 51.1 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 46.5% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 80.1% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 12.9% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 6.6 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 12,383 80.1
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,987 12.9
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 1,022 6.6

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Cocke County, Tennessee worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 1
Construction 9.6
Manufacturing 19.5
Wholesale trade 1.8
Retail trade 11.6
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.8
Information 0.9
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 2.7
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 6.2
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 18.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 16.8
Other Services, except public administration 3.6
Public administration 2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 3,772 24.4
Service occupations 3,420 22.1
Sales and office occupations 2,743 17.7
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,849 12
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 3,670 23.7

Commuting to Work

An estimated 80.6% of Cocke County, Tennessee workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 12.7% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 32.8 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 80.6
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 12.7
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.1
Walked 1.4
Other means 1.3
Worked from home 3.9

In 2020-2024, Cocke County, Tennessee had a total of 17,957 housing units. Of these housing units, 63% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 7.6% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 28.3% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 63
Apartments in multi-unit structures 7.6
Mobile homes 28.3
Boat, RV, van, etc 1.1

9.6% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 7.3% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Cocke County, Tennessee was 5.3 rooms, and of these housing units 58.9% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Cocke County, Tennessee had 15,509 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 2,448 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 74.5% while renters occupied 25.5%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.39 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.24.

5.1% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 13.7% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 4.4% and another 28% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Cocke County, Tennessee:

House Heating Fuel Used in Cocke County, Tennessee in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 21.7
Electricity 70.2
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.6
All other fuels 7
No fuel used 0.5

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Cocke County, Tennessee was $158,100.

Of the owner-occupied households, 40.9 % had a mortgage. 59.1% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,090 and for owners without a mortgage it was $402.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Cocke County, Tennessee was $798. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.