38585 ZIP Code — Spencer, TN

Van Buren County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38585 is located in Spencer, Tennessee, within Van Buren County. It covers approximately 185.04 square miles and serves a population of 4,643 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 931/423.

About ZIP code 38585

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $126,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $43,247. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% 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 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (30%) compared to national benchmarks. 20% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 26%.

Overall, ZIP code 38585 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.

4,643

population

185.04

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38585 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38585

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38585. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Spencer	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38581 Rock Island (11.7 mi) 38559 Doyle (12.2 mi) 37367 Pikeville (12.3 mi) 38587 Walling (17.1 mi) 38583 Sparta (17.6 mi) 38572 Crossville (19.3 mi) 37327 Dunlap (19.4 mi) 37305 Beersheba Springs (19.5 mi) 37110 Mcminnville (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,643
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	175

Geography
Land area	185.04 sq mi
Water area	0.47 sq mi
Latitude	35.6849
Longitude	-85.4090
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	931/423

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	58.1%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	32.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.9%	8.9%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.5%	0.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

4,643

Population

People per sq mi

42.0

Median age

$43,247

Median household income

$21,058

Per capita income

$126,200

Median home value

$658

Median monthly rent

76.3%

Home ownership

18.7%

Poverty rate

4.8%

Unemployment

1,609

Housing units

8.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

167

Under 5

166

169

5–9

168

147

10–14

146

140

15–19

139

20–24

274

25–34

273

246

35–44

246

277

45–54

277

192

55–59

192

170

60–64

169

321

65–74

320

131

75–84

130

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,169	25.2%
18 and over	3,474	74.8%
65 and over	937	20.2%
Median age	42.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.5%

Two or more races 2.9%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Other race 0.3%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,461	95.5%
Two or more races	134	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	28	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.6%
Other race	14	0.3%
Black or African American	8	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	58.1%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	32.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.9%	8.9%	18.3%
Over $200k	0.5%	0.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 7.3%

$10k–$15k 9.6%

$15k–$25k 13.0%

$25k–$35k 12.1%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 18.2%

$75k–$100k 6.5%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 0.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.3%
$10k–$15k	9.6%
$15k–$25k	13.0%
$25k–$35k	12.1%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	18.2%
$75k–$100k	6.5%
$100k–$150k	11.7%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	0.7%
Median income	$43,247

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.0%

$50k–$100k 25.9%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 12.9%

$200k–$300k 14.1%

$300k–$500k 8.6%

$500k–$1M 4.0%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$126,200
Median rent / month	$658
Owner occupied	76.3%
Renter occupied	23.7%
Vacant	14.1%
Single-family detached	68.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	24.0%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.6%
2000–2009	11.7%
1990–1999	9.8%
1980–1989	15.8%
1970–1979	31.2%
1960–1969	7.4%
1950–1959	3.7%
1940–1949	1.2%
1939 or earlier	5.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	9.5%
2 bedrooms	21.5%
3 bedrooms	57.6%
4 bedrooms	5.0%
5+ bedrooms	5.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.6%
1 vehicle	33.7%
2 vehicles	29.1%
3 or more	25.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	10.8%
Electricity	62.4%
Propane / LP gas	11.6%
Fuel oil	3.7%
Wood	11.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	829	47.7%
Cohabiting couple	115	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	346	19.9%
Female householder, no spouse	447	25.7%
Households with children under 18	583	33.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	710	40.9%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.7%	17.2%
Married	53.9%	49.3%
Separated	0.8%	3.8%
Widowed	1.9%	12.1%
Divorced	18.7%	17.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 12.1%

Some HS, no diploma 11.2%

HS graduate 44.6%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 5.0%

Graduate / professional 3.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	76.8%
Bachelor's or higher	8.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	121	11.4%
Kindergarten	143	13.5%
Elementary school	465	43.8%
High school	194	18.3%
College / grad school	138	13.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.5%

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Public administration 14.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.2%

Retail trade 7.6%

Construction 7.1%

Transportation & utilities 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 4.0%

Professional & management 4.0%

Finance & real estate 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Other services 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.0%
Service	22.7%
Sales & office	7.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.8%
Production & transportation	24.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.0%
Government	27.4%
Self-employed	7.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.0%
Carpool	9.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	4.0%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.0

Poverty

All people 18.7%

Under 18 years 18.9%

18 and over 18.6%

Married-couple families 9.4%

Female-led households 23.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.2%
Retirement income	23.5%
Supplemental Security	10.4%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	28.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.5%
High blood pressure	43.2%
High cholesterol	39.5%
Diabetes	14.9%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	34.6%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	12.9%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	29.5%
Binge drinking	13.4%
No physical activity	31.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.3%
Depression	28.2%
Fair or poor health	22.7%
Poor mental health	18.5%
Poor physical health	15.3%
No health insurance	19.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	48.1%
Cholesterol screening	89.0%
Teeth loss	24.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	335	9.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.5%
Under 18	9.3%
18–64 years	23.2%
65 and over	53.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	43.7%
Public insurance	48.1%
No insurance	19.5%
Uninsured under 19	23.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,310	92.8%
Spanish	128	3.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	128	3.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,643	100.0%
Born in same state	4,640	99.9%
Born in different state	3,336	71.9%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	649	14%
French	457	9.8%
Italian	382	8.2%
Polish	26	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	8	0.2%
German	7	0.2%
English	7	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.4%
Internet access	77.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38585

What city is ZIP code 38585 in?

ZIP code 38585 is primarily assigned to Spencer, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38585 in?

ZIP code 38585 falls within Van Buren County, Tennessee.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38585?

9% 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 38585?

19% of residents in ZIP code 38585 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 38585 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 38585 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38585?

The median home value in ZIP code 38585 is $126,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 38585 in?

ZIP code 38585 observes the CST timezone.