38506 ZIP Code — Cookeville, TN

Putnam County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38506 is located in Cookeville, Tennessee, within Putnam County. It covers approximately 164.35 square miles and serves a population of 29,243 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931.

About ZIP code 38506

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $228,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

Median household income is $60,588. 35% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

29,243

population

164.35

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38506 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38506

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38506. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cookeville	Acceptable
Cookeville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38505 Cookeville (3.3 mi) 38501 Cookeville (6.1 mi) 38580 Rickman (10.8 mi) 38545 Bloomington Springs (12.8 mi) 38544 Baxter (12.9 mi) 38574 Monterey (14.6 mi) 38570 Livingston (14.8 mi) 38568 Hilham (15.3 mi) 38554 Crawford (15.6 mi) 38562 Gainesboro (16.7 mi) 38564 Granville (17.8 mi) 38583 Sparta (17.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	29,243
Population density	178 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	164.35 sq mi
Water area	0.15 sq mi
Latitude	36.1948
Longitude	-85.4520
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	51.8%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	4.7%	3.3%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

29,243

Population

178

People per sq mi

42.7

Median age

$60,588

Median household income

$33,982

Per capita income

$228,000

Median home value

$921

Median monthly rent

71.5%

Home ownership

11.8%

Poverty rate

2.1%

Unemployment

9,429

Housing units

31.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

677

Under 5

678

625

5–9

627

984

10–14

986

891

15–19

893

890

20–24

892

1,696

25–34

1,700

2,063

35–44

2,067

1,685

45–54

1,688

983

55–59

984

1,197

60–64

1,199

1,728

65–74

1,732

833

75–84

835

355

85+

355

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,836	20.0%
18 and over	23,407	80.0%
65 and over	5,838	20.0%
Median age	42.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.1%

Two or more races 2.6%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Asian 1%

Other race 0.9%

Black or African American 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	27,550	92.1%
Two or more races	778	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	667	2.2%
Asian	286	1%
Other race	279	0.9%
Black or African American	236	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	114	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.8%	55.4%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	28.9%	27.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	13.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	4.7%	3.3%	5.1%

Under $10k 4.2%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 8.4%

$25k–$35k 7.9%

$35k–$50k 13.9%

$50k–$75k 20.6%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 6.2%

$200k+ 5.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.2%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	8.4%
$25k–$35k	7.9%
$35k–$50k	13.9%
$50k–$75k	20.6%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	14.9%
$150k–$200k	6.2%
$200k+	5.9%
Median income	$60,588

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.6%

$50k–$100k 7.1%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 25.9%

$300k–$500k 25.1%

$500k–$1M 4.7%

$1M+ 2.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$228,000
Median rent / month	$921
Owner occupied	71.5%
Renter occupied	28.5%
Vacant	4.7%
Single-family detached	77.5%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	10.3%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.39

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	14.5%
2000–2009	17.9%
1990–1999	20.7%
1980–1989	19.6%
1970–1979	14.5%
1960–1969	3.9%
1950–1959	5.6%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	2.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	6.0%
2 bedrooms	16.9%
3 bedrooms	57.4%
4 bedrooms	15.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.9%
1 vehicle	27.4%
2 vehicles	40.9%
3 or more	29.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	18.2%
Electricity	75.2%
Propane / LP gas	3.5%
Wood	2.5%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,374	51.6%
Cohabiting couple	687	5.6%
Male householder, no spouse	2,485	20.1%
Female householder, no spouse	2,797	22.7%
Households with children under 18	3,668	29.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,984	32.3%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.9%	20.1%
Married	52.6%	54.5%
Separated	2.1%	1.6%
Widowed	3.1%	10.8%
Divorced	12.3%	13.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.3%

Some HS, no diploma 6.6%

HS graduate 32.2%

Some college, no degree 19.2%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 21.3%

Graduate / professional 10.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.1%
Bachelor's or higher	31.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	297	4.9%
Kindergarten	170	2.8%
Elementary school	2,696	44.6%
High school	1,532	25.3%
College / grad school	1,349	22.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.7%

Manufacturing 16.0%

Retail trade 10.8%

Professional & management 9.5%

Transportation & utilities 8.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.4%

Public administration 6.3%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Other services 4.8%

Construction 4.7%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Information 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.4%
Service	15.3%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	10.8%
Production & transportation	16.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.5%
Government	17.6%
Self-employed	7.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.3%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	7.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.9

Poverty

All people 11.8%

Under 18 years 12.8%

18 and over 11.5%

Married-couple families 5.9%

Female-led households 22.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.1%
Retirement income	23.5%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	38.9%
High cholesterol	37.0%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	14.2%
No physical activity	25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.3%
Depression	25.5%
Fair or poor health	15.9%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	15.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	60.9%
Cholesterol screening	90.9%
Teeth loss	15.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,699	7.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.2%
Under 18	1.9%
18–64 years	9.7%
65 and over	36.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.7%
Public insurance	37.5%
No insurance	7.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	27,888	95.4%
Spanish	196	0.7%
Other Indo-European	103	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.0%
Other languages	80	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	28,224	96.5%
Born in same state	27,981	95.7%
Born in different state	17,241	59.0%
Foreign born	243	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	1,019	3.5%
Not a US citizen	528	51.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	7,510	25.7%
French	4,411	15.1%
Italian	2,905	9.9%
English	221	0.8%
German	188	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	120	0.4%
Dutch	71	0.2%
Irish	20	0.1%
Norwegian	13	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.2%
Internet access	91.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38506

What city is ZIP code 38506 in?

ZIP code 38506 is primarily assigned to Cookeville, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38506 in?

ZIP code 38506 falls within Putnam County, Tennessee.

Does ZIP code 38506 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 38506 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 38506?

ZIP code 38506 has an estimated population of 29,243 residents, with a density of 178 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 38506?

The median household income in ZIP code 38506 is $60,588, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38506?

The median home value in ZIP code 38506 is $228,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 38506 in?

ZIP code 38506 observes the CST timezone.