38478 ZIP Code — Pulaski, TN

Giles County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38478 is located in Pulaski, Tennessee, within Giles County. It covers approximately 256.44 square miles and serves a population of 18,545 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931.

About ZIP code 38478

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $172,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

Median household income is $55,383. 41% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38478 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

18,545

population

256.44

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38478 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38478

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38478. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Pulaski	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38472 Lynnville (10.5 mi) 38477 Prospect (11.7 mi) 38460 Goodspring (11.7 mi) 37047 Cornersville (13.1 mi) 38459 Frankewing (13.9 mi) 38449 Ardmore (15 mi) 38473 Minor Hill (15.3 mi) 38451 Culleoka (15.4 mi) 38456 Ethridge (15.9 mi) 38468 Leoma (16.8 mi) 37144 Petersburg (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	18,545
Population density	72 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	256.44 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	35.2331
Longitude	-87.0191
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	53.7%	50.3%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	30.9%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	16.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

18,545

Population

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$55,383

Median household income

$29,468

Per capita income

$172,600

Median home value

$808

Median monthly rent

66.6%

Home ownership

15.8%

Poverty rate

5.2%

Unemployment

6,285

Housing units

19.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

469

Under 5

517

347

5–9

383

736

10–14

812

687

15–19

759

522

20–24

577

1,056

25–34

1,166

915

35–44

1,009

941

45–54

1,038

858

55–59

947

480

60–64

530

967

65–74

1,068

679

75–84

750

158

85+

174

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,888	21.0%
18 and over	14,657	79.0%
65 and over	3,796	20.5%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.9%

Black or African American 12%

Two or more races 6.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

Other race 2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	14,532	75.9%
Black or African American	2,297	12%
Two or more races	1,257	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	597	3.1%
Other race	377	2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	53	0.3%
Asian	29	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.7%	50.3%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	29.7%	30.9%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	14.6%	16.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	5.1%

Under $10k 9.8%

$10k–$15k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 9.2%

$25k–$35k 7.2%

$35k–$50k 15.7%

$50k–$75k 16.8%

$75k–$100k 11.7%

$100k–$150k 13.2%

$150k–$200k 8.1%

$200k+ 3.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.8%
$10k–$15k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	9.2%
$25k–$35k	7.2%
$35k–$50k	15.7%
$50k–$75k	16.8%
$75k–$100k	11.7%
$100k–$150k	13.2%
$150k–$200k	8.1%
$200k+	3.8%
Median income	$55,383

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.6%

$50k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 19.8%

$150k–$200k 19.5%

$200k–$300k 24.0%

$300k–$500k 11.8%

$500k–$1M 5.9%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$172,600
Median rent / month	$808
Owner occupied	66.6%
Renter occupied	33.4%
Vacant	18.6%
Single-family detached	70.4%
Large apartment buildings	2.1%
Mobile homes	14.1%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.57

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	10.7%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	14.0%
1970–1979	20.2%
1960–1969	13.0%
1950–1959	5.6%
1940–1949	3.0%
1939 or earlier	9.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.8%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	27.2%
3 bedrooms	51.5%
4 bedrooms	9.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	28.5%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	34.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	27.0%
Electricity	62.6%
Propane / LP gas	7.1%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	2.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,288	46.8%
Cohabiting couple	361	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,010	14.4%
Female householder, no spouse	2,361	33.6%
Households with children under 18	1,880	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,550	36.3%
Average household size	2.54

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.7%	30.1%
Married	48.4%	39.3%
Separated	2.5%	2.1%
Widowed	2.6%	12.0%
Divorced	10.7%	16.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.3%

Some HS, no diploma 6.5%

HS graduate 44.3%

Some college, no degree 18.9%

Associate's degree 7.7%

Bachelor's degree 11.7%

Graduate / professional 7.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.2%
Bachelor's or higher	19.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	162	3.7%
Kindergarten	174	4.0%
Elementary school	1,583	36.5%
High school	1,088	25.1%
College / grad school	1,334	30.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 25.3%

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Retail trade 12.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.3%

Finance & real estate 7.7%

Construction 4.8%

Professional & management 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.3%

Wholesale trade 4.2%

Other services 2.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.7%

Public administration 1.5%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.4%
Service	11.6%
Sales & office	25.9%
Natural resources & construction	8.1%
Production & transportation	26.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.3%
Government	10.5%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.5%
Carpool	7.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	2.4%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.6

Poverty

All people 15.8%

Under 18 years 20.8%

18 and over 14.5%

Married-couple families 8.0%

Female-led households 27.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.9%
Retirement income	22.4%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.9%
High blood pressure	40.7%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	13.7%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	32.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.7%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	27.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	26.3%
Fair or poor health	18.7%
Poor mental health	17.0%
Poor physical health	12.7%
No health insurance	17.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.9%
Visited dentist	55.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	19.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,414	9.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.5%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	11.3%
65 and over	37.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.3%
Public insurance	43.7%
No insurance	7.5%
Uninsured under 19	1.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,559	94.7%
Spanish	147	0.8%
Other Indo-European	121	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	16	0.1%
Other languages	10	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	18,254	98.4%
Born in same state	18,181	98.0%
Born in different state	12,383	66.8%
Foreign born	73	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	291	1.6%
Not a US citizen	139	47.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,342	18%
French	2,278	12.3%
Italian	1,680	9.1%
English	77	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	51	0.3%
Norwegian	34	0.2%
German	33	0.2%
Irish	21	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	93.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38478

What city is ZIP code 38478 in?

ZIP code 38478 is primarily assigned to Pulaski, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38478 in?

ZIP code 38478 falls within Giles County, Tennessee.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38478?

16% of residents in ZIP code 38478 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 38478 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 38478 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 38478 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 38478 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38478?

The median home value in ZIP code 38478 is $172,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 38478 in?

ZIP code 38478 observes the CST timezone.