38501 ZIP Code — Cookeville, TN
Putnam County, Tennessee
ZIP code 38501 is located in Cookeville, Tennessee, within Putnam County. It covers approximately 87.08 square miles and serves a population of 41,930 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931.
About ZIP code 38501
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $221,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 50%.
Median household income is $49,373. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 29% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.
41,930
population
87.08
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
38501 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 38501
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Cookeville | Acceptable |
| Cookeville | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
38505 Cookeville (5.2 mi)
38506 Cookeville (6.1 mi)
38545 Bloomington Springs (7.5 mi)
38562 Gainesboro (10.7 mi)
38544 Baxter (11 mi)
38564 Granville (12.1 mi)
38568 Hilham (12.6 mi)
38580 Rickman (14.2 mi)
38548 Buffalo Valley (15.1 mi)
38582 Silver Point (15.7 mi)
38552 Chestnut Mound (15.9 mi)
38570 Livingston (15.9 mi)
Demographics
updated 06/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 41,930 |
| Population density | 482 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 47 |
| County FIPS | 141 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 87.08 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.18 sq mi |
| Latitude | 36.2442 |
| Longitude | -85.5431 |
| Timezone | Central (CT) |
| Area code | 931 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 58.2% | 55.4% | 45.7% |
| $50k – $100k | 25.5% | 27.5% | 30.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 13.5% | 13.8% | 18.3% |
| Over $200k | 2.8% | 3.3% | 5.1% |
Demographics & statistics
41,930
Population
482
People per sq mi
31.5
Median age
$49,373
Median household income
$27,903
Per capita income
$221,200
Median home value
$828
Median monthly rent
50.2%
Home ownership
19.8%
Poverty rate
5.2%
Unemployment
10,299
Housing units
28.7%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
1,064
Under 5
1,090
1,210
5–9
1,239
1,091
10–14
1,116
1,815
15–19
1,858
3,038
20–24
3,109
2,998
25–34
3,068
2,053
35–44
2,101
2,546
45–54
2,606
877
55–59
897
1,201
60–64
1,230
1,558
65–74
1,595
1,012
75–84
1,036
258
85+
264
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 8,080 | 19.3% |
| 18 and over | 33,850 | 80.7% |
| 65 and over | 5,723 | 13.6% |
| Median age | 31.5 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
81.5%
Two or more races
5.8%
Hispanic or Latino
5.4%
Black or African American
3.1%
Other race
3%
Asian
1.2%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 36,121 | 81.5% |
| Two or more races | 2,562 | 5.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,415 | 5.4% |
| Black or African American | 1,393 | 3.1% |
| Other race | 1,326 | 3% |
| Asian | 510 | 1.2% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 58.2% | 55.4% | 45.7% |
| $50k – $100k | 25.5% | 27.5% | 30.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 13.5% | 13.8% | 18.3% |
| Over $200k | 2.8% | 3.3% | 5.1% |
Under $10k
8.3%
$10k–$15k
4.7%
$15k–$25k
13.8%
$25k–$35k
9.7%
$35k–$50k
14.0%
$50k–$75k
18.0%
$75k–$100k
11.2%
$100k–$150k
11.4%
$150k–$200k
4.8%
$200k+
4.1%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 8.3% |
| $10k–$15k | 4.7% |
| $15k–$25k | 13.8% |
| $25k–$35k | 9.7% |
| $35k–$50k | 14.0% |
| $50k–$75k | 18.0% |
| $75k–$100k | 11.2% |
| $100k–$150k | 11.4% |
| $150k–$200k | 4.8% |
| $200k+ | 4.1% |
| Median income | $49,373 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
2.8%
$50k–$100k
8.7%
$100k–$150k
17.5%
$150k–$200k
14.5%
$200k–$300k
28.7%
$300k–$500k
19.1%
$500k–$1M
7.7%
$1M+
0.9%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $221,200 |
| Median rent / month | $828 |
| Owner occupied | 50.2% |
| Renter occupied | 49.8% |
| Vacant | 8.6% |
| Single-family detached | 54.3% |
| Large apartment buildings | 3.7% |
| Mobile homes | 5.8% |
| Median rooms | 5.3 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.54 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.6% |
| 2010–2019 | 14.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 16.9% |
| 1990–1999 | 17.2% |
| 1980–1989 | 16.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 13.6% |
| 1960–1969 | 9.7% |
| 1950–1959 | 5.3% |
| 1940–1949 | 3.2% |
| 1939 or earlier | 3.0% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.3% |
| 2 bedrooms | 28.5% |
| 3 bedrooms | 41.1% |
| 4 bedrooms | 12.3% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 3.8% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 5.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 31.6% |
| 2 vehicles | 38.4% |
| 3 or more | 24.7% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 23.2% |
| Electricity | 73.9% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.6% |
| Fuel oil | 0.3% |
| Wood | 0.5% |
| No fuel used | 0.5% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 6,846 | 39.6% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,152 | 6.7% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 3,966 | 23.0% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 5,305 | 30.7% |
| Households with children under 18 | 4,192 | 24.3% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 4,195 | 24.3% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 43.2% | 36.7% |
| Married | 44.8% | 40.4% |
| Separated | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Widowed | 2.1% | 8.1% |
| Divorced | 8.6% | 13.7% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
5.3%
Some HS, no diploma
6.1%
HS graduate
32.1%
Some college, no degree
21.7%
Associate's degree
6.1%
Bachelor's degree
17.2%
Graduate / professional
11.5%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 88.7% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 28.7% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 500 | 3.9% |
| Kindergarten | 482 | 3.8% |
| Elementary school | 3,633 | 28.3% |
| High school | 1,664 | 13.0% |
| College / grad school | 6,566 | 51.1% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
23.1%
Retail trade
14.4%
Manufacturing
14.3%
Arts, food & hospitality
12.9%
Professional & management
7.5%
Transportation & utilities
6.7%
Construction
5.9%
Finance & real estate
5.1%
Other services
4.5%
Public administration
2.5%
Wholesale trade
1.7%
Information
1.1%
Agriculture & mining
0.4%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 34.6% |
| Service | 20.4% |
| Sales & office | 20.4% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.3% |
| Production & transportation | 17.3% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 77.0% |
| Government | 15.0% |
| Self-employed | 7.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.5% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.7% |
| Carpool | 11.1% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 6.0% |
| Other means | 0.6% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 21.5 |
Poverty
All people
19.8%
Under 18 years
26.5%
18 and over
18.2%
Married-couple families
6.5%
Female-led households
23.6%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 28.9% |
| Retirement income | 17.1% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.8% |
| Cash public assistance | 2.1% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 9.5% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 36.9% |
| High blood pressure | 35.6% |
| High cholesterol | 32.8% |
| Diabetes | 11.3% |
| Heart disease | 6.9% |
| Stroke | 3.3% |
| Asthma | 10.8% |
| Arthritis | 26.5% |
| Kidney disease | 3.0% |
| Pulmonary disease | 8.9% |
| Cancer | 6.0% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 22.2% |
| Binge drinking | 15.0% |
| No physical activity | 27.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 34.3% |
| Depression | 27.3% |
| Fair or poor health | 17.4% |
| Poor mental health | 18.5% |
| Poor physical health | 11.8% |
| No health insurance | 18.2% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 75.4% |
| Visited dentist | 55.4% |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.1% |
| Teeth loss | 18.5% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 2,147 | 6.4% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 12.9% |
| Under 18 | 4.1% |
| 18–64 years | 11.4% |
| 65 and over | 33.1% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 68.2% |
| Public insurance | 33.5% |
| No insurance | 10.2% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 5.4% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 39,776 | 94.9% |
| Spanish | 1,097 | 2.8% |
| Other Indo-European | 886 | 2.2% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 83 | 0.2% |
| Other languages | 128 | 0.3% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 39,600 | 94.4% |
| Born in same state | 39,326 | 93.8% |
| Born in different state | 25,862 | 61.7% |
| Foreign born | 274 | 0.7% |
| Naturalized citizen | 2,330 | 5.6% |
| Not a US citizen | 1,016 | 43.6% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Arab | 8,076 | 19.3% |
| French | 4,564 | 10.9% |
| Italian | 3,544 | 8.5% |
| English | 343 | 0.8% |
| Polish | 209 | 0.5% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| German | 144 | 0.3% |
| Dutch | 74 | 0.2% |
| Norwegian | 50 | 0.1% |
| Irish | 27 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 41.2% |
| Internet access | 92.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38501
What city is ZIP code 38501 in?
ZIP code 38501 is primarily assigned to Cookeville, Tennessee.
What county is ZIP code 38501 in?
ZIP code 38501 falls within Putnam County, Tennessee.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38501?
20% of residents in ZIP code 38501 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
What is the population of ZIP code 38501?
ZIP code 38501 has an estimated population of 41,930 residents, with a density of 482 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 38501?
The median household income in ZIP code 38501 is $49,373, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38501?
The median home value in ZIP code 38501 is $221,200.
What timezone is ZIP code 38501 in?
ZIP code 38501 observes the CST timezone.