38548 ZIP Code — Buffalo Valley, TN

Putnam County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38548 is located in Buffalo Valley, Tennessee, within Putnam County. It covers approximately 28.29 square miles and serves a population of 1,156 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 615.

About ZIP code 38548

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $211,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 94%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $58,664. 55% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 40 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 7% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38548 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,156

population

28.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38548 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38548

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38548. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Buffalo Valley	Acceptable
Buffalo Valley	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38552 Chestnut Mound (2 mi) 38560 Elmwood (5.2 mi) 38582 Silver Point (5.8 mi) 38564 Granville (7.2 mi) 38567 Hickman (7.4 mi) 38545 Bloomington Springs (7.9 mi) 38544 Baxter (8.6 mi) 38563 Gordonsville (11.5 mi) 37030 Carthage (11.8 mi) 38547 Brush Creek (12 mi) 37012 Alexandria (13.4 mi) 38562 Gainesboro (14.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,156
Population density	41 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	28.29 sq mi
Water area	0.12 sq mi
Latitude	36.1755
Longitude	-85.7995
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	615

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	45.4%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.3%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

1,156

Population

People per sq mi

50.3

Median age

$58,664

Median household income

$21,889

Per capita income

$211,200

Median home value

$822

Median monthly rent

93.9%

Home ownership

7.5%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

485

Housing units

6.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	265	22.9%
18 and over	891	77.1%
65 and over	252	21.8%
Median age	50.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.6%

Two or more races 2.7%

Asian 0.8%

Black or African American 0.5%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	1,110	95.6%
Two or more races	31	2.7%
Asian	9	0.8%
Black or African American	6	0.5%
Hispanic or Latino	5	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	45.4%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.3%	5.1%

Under $10k 4.0%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 18.9%

$25k–$35k 13.8%

$35k–$50k 1.2%

$50k–$75k 29.0%

$75k–$100k 8.6%

$100k–$150k 15.2%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.0%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	18.9%
$25k–$35k	13.8%
$35k–$50k	1.2%
$50k–$75k	29.0%
$75k–$100k	8.6%
$100k–$150k	15.2%
$150k–$200k	6.8%
Median income	$58,664

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.0%

$50k–$100k 12.7%

$100k–$150k 13.9%

$150k–$200k 8.0%

$200k–$300k 38.6%

$300k–$500k 16.7%

$1M+ 2.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$211,200
Median rent / month	$822
Owner occupied	93.9%
Renter occupied	6.1%
Vacant	16.2%
Single-family detached	81.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	18.4%
Median rooms	6.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.65

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.7%
2000–2009	10.2%
1990–1999	8.6%
1980–1989	20.0%
1970–1979	14.1%
1960–1969	15.1%
1950–1959	5.9%
1940–1949	0.8%
1939 or earlier	22.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	7.2%
2 bedrooms	25.2%
3 bedrooms	45.4%
4 bedrooms	18.8%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	8.2%
2 vehicles	34.3%
3 or more	54.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.4%
Electricity	68.7%
Propane / LP gas	13.6%
Wood	16.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	342	79.9%
Cohabiting couple	9	2.1%
Male householder, no spouse	32	7.5%
Female householder, no spouse	45	10.5%
Households with children under 18	77	18.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	193	45.1%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.1%	7.4%
Married	67.2%	78.7%
Separated	1.3%	2.6%
Widowed	5.5%	4.6%
Divorced	0.0%	6.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 71.5%

Some college, no degree 15.5%

Associate's degree 3.1%

Bachelor's degree 1.6%

Graduate / professional 5.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.8%
Bachelor's or higher	6.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	168	74.0%
High school	50	22.0%
College / grad school	9	4.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 32.1%

Retail trade 21.3%

Construction 14.3%

Transportation & utilities 6.5%

Education & healthcare 5.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.9%

Professional & management 5.4%

Other services 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Finance & real estate 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	12.4%
Service	10.8%
Sales & office	16.4%
Natural resources & construction	15.1%
Production & transportation	45.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.1%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	11.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.2%
Carpool	4.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	16.7%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	39.8

Poverty

All people 7.5%

Under 18 years 11.7%

18 and over 6.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 70.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	55.1%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	28.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.7%
High blood pressure	40.6%
High cholesterol	37.6%
Diabetes	13.1%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	31.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	10.2%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.5%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	28.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.9%
Depression	26.2%
Fair or poor health	18.3%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	12.7%
No health insurance	17.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	56.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	18.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	65	7.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.6%
Under 18	2.3%
18–64 years	14.2%
65 and over	28.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.4%
Public insurance	38.0%
No insurance	5.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,083	93.7%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,147	99.2%
Born in same state	1,147	99.2%
Born in different state	749	64.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	9	0.8%
Not a US citizen	9	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	275	23.8%
French	237	20.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	109	9.4%
German	9	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	97.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38548

What city is ZIP code 38548 in?

ZIP code 38548 is primarily assigned to Buffalo Valley, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38548 in?

ZIP code 38548 falls within Putnam County, Tennessee.

Does ZIP code 38548 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 38548 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 38548 mostly owner-occupied?

94% of occupied units in ZIP code 38548 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38548?

7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the population of ZIP code 38548?

ZIP code 38548 has an estimated population of 1,156 residents, with a density of 41 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 38548 in?

ZIP code 38548 observes the CST timezone.