38544 ZIP Code — Baxter, TN

Putnam County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38544 is located in Baxter, Tennessee, within Putnam County. It covers approximately 79.22 square miles and serves a population of 7,283 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931.

About ZIP code 38544

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $196,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,557. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38544 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,283

population

79.22

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38544 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38544

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38544. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Baxter	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38582 Silver Point (5.5 mi) 38545 Bloomington Springs (8 mi) 38548 Buffalo Valley (8.6 mi) 38505 Cookeville (9.7 mi) 38552 Chestnut Mound (10.5 mi) 38501 Cookeville (11 mi) 38564 Granville (12 mi) 38506 Cookeville (12.9 mi) 38560 Elmwood (13.7 mi) 37166 Smithville (14.2 mi) 38567 Hickman (14.3 mi) 38562 Gainesboro (16.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,283
Population density	92 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	79.22 sq mi
Water area	3.05 sq mi
Latitude	36.1176
Longitude	-85.6634
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	931

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.6%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	15.3%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.3%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

7,283

Population

People per sq mi

39.7

Median age

$62,557

Median household income

$28,295

Per capita income

$196,800

Median home value

$783

Median monthly rent

82.2%

Home ownership

11.7%

Poverty rate

5.8%

Unemployment

2,777

Housing units

13.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

299

Under 5

333

283

5–9

315

230

10–14

257

173

15–19

192

164

20–24

182

353

25–34

393

481

35–44

535

499

45–54

556

179

55–59

200

233

60–64

260

347

65–74

386

153

75–84

171

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,936	26.6%
18 and over	5,347	73.4%
65 and over	1,166	16.0%
Median age	39.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.1%

Two or more races 3.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

Black or African American 0.6%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	6,955	94.1%
Two or more races	264	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	112	1.5%
Black or African American	45	0.6%
Other race	18	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.6%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	15.3%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.1%	3.3%	5.1%

Under $10k 3.5%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 11.3%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 14.0%

$100k–$150k 17.9%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 3.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.5%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	11.3%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	14.0%
$100k–$150k	17.9%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	3.9%
Median income	$62,557

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 13.6%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 17.3%

$200k–$300k 25.2%

$300k–$500k 18.7%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$196,800
Median rent / month	$783
Owner occupied	82.2%
Renter occupied	17.8%
Vacant	17.3%
Single-family detached	74.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	21.2%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.82

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	14.5%
2000–2009	20.6%
1990–1999	12.1%
1980–1989	15.0%
1970–1979	14.7%
1960–1969	12.0%
1950–1959	5.9%
1940–1949	1.6%
1939 or earlier	3.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	3.2%
2 bedrooms	21.2%
3 bedrooms	59.9%
4 bedrooms	11.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.5%
1 vehicle	26.2%
2 vehicles	29.7%
3 or more	39.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	20.6%
Electricity	71.0%
Propane / LP gas	5.8%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,498	55.6%
Cohabiting couple	210	7.8%
Male householder, no spouse	380	14.1%
Female householder, no spouse	607	22.5%
Households with children under 18	982	36.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	923	34.2%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.5%	21.0%
Married	57.5%	55.4%
Separated	1.8%	2.2%
Widowed	4.3%	12.2%
Divorced	6.9%	9.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.3%

Some HS, no diploma 5.2%

HS graduate 52.2%

Some college, no degree 19.8%

Associate's degree 4.6%

Bachelor's degree 8.7%

Graduate / professional 5.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.5%
Bachelor's or higher	13.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	239	13.3%
Kindergarten	65	3.6%
Elementary school	890	49.6%
High school	334	18.6%
College / grad school	265	14.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.6%

Retail trade 16.5%

Manufacturing 12.7%

Transportation & utilities 11.2%

Construction 10.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.9%

Public administration 6.1%

Other services 5.9%

Professional & management 5.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Wholesale trade 2.0%

Finance & real estate 0.9%

Information 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.1%
Service	14.5%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	10.2%
Production & transportation	23.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.6%
Government	17.0%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.2%
Carpool	8.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	8.1%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.9

Poverty

All people 11.7%

Under 18 years 18.1%

18 and over 9.5%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 8.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.1%
Retirement income	24.4%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	41.9%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	14.1%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	32.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	11.3%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.7%
Binge drinking	13.9%
No physical activity	30.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.1%
Depression	27.2%
Fair or poor health	20.2%
Poor mental health	17.7%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	17.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	53.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	21.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	466	8.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	4.9%
18–64 years	17.4%
65 and over	50.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.0%
Public insurance	43.8%
No insurance	5.6%
Uninsured under 19	0.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,651	91.3%
Spanish	20	0.3%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	19	0.3%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,222	99.2%
Born in same state	7,184	98.6%
Born in different state	5,181	71.1%
Foreign born	38	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	61	0.8%
Not a US citizen	49	80.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,740	23.9%
French	689	9.5%
Italian	498	6.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	216	3%
German	17	0.2%
Dutch	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	90.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38544

What city is ZIP code 38544 in?

ZIP code 38544 is primarily assigned to Baxter, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38544 in?

ZIP code 38544 falls within Putnam County, Tennessee.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38544?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 38544 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 38544 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 38544 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 38544 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 38544?

ZIP code 38544 has an estimated population of 7,283 residents, with a density of 92 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 38544 in?

ZIP code 38544 observes the CST timezone.