38481 ZIP Code — Saint Joseph, TN

Lawrence County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38481 is located in Saint Joseph, Tennessee, within Lawrence County. It covers approximately 10.49 square miles and serves a population of 883 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931.

About ZIP code 38481

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 $115,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($39,479) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 47% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% 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 38481 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

883

population

10.49

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38481 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38481

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38481. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Saint Joseph	Acceptable
Saint Joseph	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38469 Loretto (4.7 mi) 38486 Westpoint (8.9 mi) 35648 Lexington (8.9 mi) 38463 Iron City (8.9 mi) 35645 Killen (9.2 mi) 35634 Florence (10.6 mi) 38457 Five Points (11.1 mi) 38468 Leoma (13.1 mi) 35610 Anderson (15.1 mi) 38464 Lawrenceburg (17.3 mi) 35630 Florence (17.3 mi) 38452 Cypress Inn (17.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	883
Population density	84 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	099

Geography
Land area	10.49 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	35.0344
Longitude	-87.4867
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	59.6%	56.9%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	28.6%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	11.6%	12.5%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.1%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

883

Population

People per sq mi

42.4

Median age

$39,479

Median household income

$29,751

Per capita income

$115,400

Median home value

$576

Median monthly rent

79.7%

Home ownership

18.6%

Poverty rate

2.9%

Unemployment

354

Housing units

12.4%

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

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	166	18.8%
18 and over	717	81.2%
65 and over	162	18.3%
Median age	42.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.5%

Asian 2.3%

Two or more races 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Black or African American 0.9%

Other race 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	828	92.5%
Asian	21	2.3%
Two or more races	20	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	12	1.3%
Black or African American	8	0.9%
Other race	6	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.6%	56.9%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	28.6%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	11.6%	12.5%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.1%	5.1%

Under $10k 10.0%

$10k–$15k 11.6%

$15k–$25k 17.9%

$25k–$35k 5.0%

$35k–$50k 17.1%

$50k–$75k 11.6%

$75k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 11.6%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k+ 1.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.0%
$10k–$15k	11.6%
$15k–$25k	17.9%
$25k–$35k	5.0%
$35k–$50k	17.1%
$50k–$75k	11.6%
$75k–$100k	9.2%
$100k–$150k	11.6%
$150k–$200k	4.7%
$200k+	1.3%
Median income	$39,479

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.8%

$50k–$100k 22.1%

$100k–$150k 12.5%

$150k–$200k 7.3%

$200k–$300k 16.8%

$300k–$500k 19.1%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,400
Median rent / month	$576
Owner occupied	79.7%
Renter occupied	20.3%
Vacant	11.8%
Single-family detached	75.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	17.6%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.2%
2010–2019	2.8%
2000–2009	10.0%
1990–1999	16.2%
1980–1989	9.5%
1970–1979	10.2%
1960–1969	16.5%
1950–1959	10.4%
1940–1949	6.0%
1939 or earlier	17.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	24.4%
3 bedrooms	58.5%
4 bedrooms	10.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.5%
1 vehicle	31.1%
2 vehicles	33.4%
3 or more	30.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	25.3%
Electricity	56.6%
Propane / LP gas	10.0%
Wood	8.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	156	41.1%
Cohabiting couple	15	3.9%
Male householder, no spouse	87	22.9%
Female householder, no spouse	122	32.1%
Households with children under 18	104	27.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	131	34.5%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.8%	22.3%
Married	42.7%	43.1%
Separated	0.0%	3.7%
Widowed	2.6%	16.6%
Divorced	17.9%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.4%

Some HS, no diploma 11.1%

HS graduate 46.6%

Some college, no degree 18.0%

Associate's degree 4.5%

Bachelor's degree 7.1%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.4%
Bachelor's or higher	12.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	7	3.6%
Kindergarten	18	9.3%
Elementary school	77	39.7%
High school	51	26.3%
College / grad school	41	21.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.5%

Manufacturing 22.5%

Retail trade 11.9%

Construction 10.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Information 4.6%

Agriculture & mining 3.5%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Other services 2.5%

Finance & real estate 1.5%

Professional & management 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.9%
Service	17.0%
Sales & office	16.5%
Natural resources & construction	18.0%
Production & transportation	17.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.2%
Government	18.0%
Self-employed	7.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.6%
Carpool	7.1%
Public transit	3.3%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	9.4%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.8

Poverty

All people 18.6%

Under 18 years 24.1%

18 and over 17.3%

Married-couple families 10.3%

Female-led households 17.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.1%
Retirement income	18.9%
Supplemental Security	5.0%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.0%
High blood pressure	42.7%
High cholesterol	39.1%
Diabetes	14.7%
Heart disease	9.3%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	34.7%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	12.2%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.7%
Binge drinking	12.9%
No physical activity	30.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.2%
Depression	27.5%
Fair or poor health	21.3%
Poor mental health	17.3%
Poor physical health	14.6%
No health insurance	18.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.7%
Visited dentist	49.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	22.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	43	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.3%
Under 18	6.0%
18–64 years	14.8%
65 and over	43.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.4%
Public insurance	44.4%
No insurance	10.4%
Uninsured under 19	11.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	860	97.4%
Spanish	20	2.3%
Other Indo-European	6	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	14	1.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	863	97.7%
Born in same state	863	97.7%
Born in different state	615	69.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	20	2.3%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	190	21.5%
Italian	76	8.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	44	5%
English	13	1.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.0%
Internet access	71.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38481

What city is ZIP code 38481 in?

ZIP code 38481 is primarily assigned to Saint Joseph, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38481 in?

ZIP code 38481 falls within Lawrence County, Tennessee.

Does ZIP code 38481 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 38481 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38481?

12% 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 poverty rate in ZIP code 38481?

19% of residents in ZIP code 38481 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38481?

The median home value in ZIP code 38481 is $115,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 38481 in?

ZIP code 38481 observes the CST timezone.