38261 ZIP Code — Union City, TN

Obion County, Tennessee

ZIP code 38261 is located in Union City, Tennessee, within Obion County. It covers approximately 176.90 square miles and serves a population of 16,325 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 731.

About ZIP code 38261

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $136,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.

Median household income is $50,576. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 38% 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 18 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 diabetes (16%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38261 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

16,325

population

176.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38261 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38261

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38261. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Union City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38260 Troy (4.4 mi) 38253 Rives (9.1 mi) 38232 Hornbeak (11.4 mi) 42050 Hickman (14 mi) 38240 Obion (14.8 mi) 38259 Trimble (15.1 mi) 38233 Kenton (16 mi) 38238 Martin (16.5 mi) 38079 Tiptonville (16.5 mi) 38237 Martin (17.3 mi) 42041 Fulton (19.7 mi) 38255 Sharon (20 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	16,325
Population density	92 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	131

Geography
Land area	176.90 sq mi
Water area	6.83 sq mi
Latitude	36.4162
Longitude	-89.1455
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	731

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.1%	60.7%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	25.5%	28.0%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.3%	9.5%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.8%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

16,325

Population

People per sq mi

41.0

Median age

$50,576

Median household income

$29,087

Per capita income

$136,900

Median home value

$726

Median monthly rent

59.7%

Home ownership

17.8%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

4,615

Housing units

18.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

420

Under 5

475

566

5–9

640

506

10–14

572

486

15–19

551

484

20–24

548

868

25–34

984

1,042

35–44

1,181

882

45–54

998

450

55–59

509

444

60–64

502

873

65–74

989

397

75–84

449

239

85+

270

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,854	23.6%
18 and over	12,471	76.4%
65 and over	3,217	19.7%
Median age	41.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69.8%

Black or African American 15.4%

Two or more races 6.6%

Hispanic or Latino 5.8%

Other race 1.7%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	12,100	69.8%
Black or African American	2,671	15.4%
Two or more races	1,144	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,014	5.8%
Other race	301	1.7%
Asian	53	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	29	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	27	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.1%	60.7%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	25.5%	28.0%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	8.3%	9.5%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.8%	5.1%

Under $10k 7.3%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 13.2%

$25k–$35k 8.5%

$35k–$50k 13.6%

$50k–$75k 17.4%

$75k–$100k 14.7%

$100k–$150k 10.5%

$150k–$200k 5.9%

$200k+ 2.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.3%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	13.2%
$25k–$35k	8.5%
$35k–$50k	13.6%
$50k–$75k	17.4%
$75k–$100k	14.7%
$100k–$150k	10.5%
$150k–$200k	5.9%
$200k+	2.4%
Median income	$50,576

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.1%

$50k–$100k 24.9%

$100k–$150k 22.3%

$150k–$200k 16.1%

$200k–$300k 20.2%

$300k–$500k 6.2%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$136,900
Median rent / month	$726
Owner occupied	59.7%
Renter occupied	40.3%
Vacant	9.7%
Single-family detached	71.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.3%
Mobile homes	7.8%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	8.3%
1990–1999	12.5%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	17.5%
1960–1969	18.3%
1950–1959	11.0%
1940–1949	5.3%
1939 or earlier	8.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	5.8%
2 bedrooms	27.6%
3 bedrooms	51.4%
4 bedrooms	12.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.6%
1 vehicle	37.8%
2 vehicles	37.4%
3 or more	16.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	47.8%
Electricity	46.5%
Propane / LP gas	5.0%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,037	46.4%
Cohabiting couple	450	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	932	14.2%
Female householder, no spouse	2,131	32.5%
Households with children under 18	2,023	30.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,257	34.5%
Average household size	2.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.7%	25.3%
Married	54.0%	44.5%
Separated	2.2%	3.2%
Widowed	3.3%	15.4%
Divorced	11.8%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.7%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 41.5%

Some college, no degree 20.3%

Associate's degree 5.3%

Bachelor's degree 11.2%

Graduate / professional 7.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.9%
Bachelor's or higher	18.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	102	2.9%
Kindergarten	130	3.7%
Elementary school	1,745	49.3%
High school	910	25.7%
College / grad school	656	18.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 23.9%

Education & healthcare 19.3%

Retail trade 11.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Professional & management 6.7%

Construction 5.6%

Other services 5.5%

Public administration 5.0%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Agriculture & mining 2.3%

Information 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.4%
Service	19.9%
Sales & office	15.0%
Natural resources & construction	6.9%
Production & transportation	27.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.2%
Government	13.8%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.4%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.6

Poverty

All people 17.8%

Under 18 years 21.8%

18 and over 16.5%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 41.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.6%
Retirement income	24.5%
Supplemental Security	5.1%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.1%
High blood pressure	42.7%
High cholesterol	37.8%
Diabetes	15.5%
Heart disease	8.7%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	32.7%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	11.5%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.1%
Binge drinking	12.7%
No physical activity	31.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.8%
Depression	27.2%
Fair or poor health	22.4%
Poor mental health	18.0%
Poor physical health	14.6%
No health insurance	19.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	50.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	23.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	903	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.1%
Under 18	3.5%
18–64 years	16.9%
65 and over	45.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.2%
Public insurance	41.8%
No insurance	9.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,430	94.5%
Spanish	293	1.9%
Other Indo-European	278	1.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	15,696	96.1%
Born in same state	15,641	95.8%
Born in different state	11,397	69.8%
Foreign born	55	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	629	3.9%
Not a US citizen	190	30.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,748	16.8%
Italian	1,974	12.1%
French	1,733	10.6%
English	126	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	13	0.1%
German	11	0.1%
Polish	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.1%
Internet access	90.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38261

What city is ZIP code 38261 in?

ZIP code 38261 is primarily assigned to Union City, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 38261 in?

ZIP code 38261 falls within Obion County, Tennessee.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38261?

18% of residents in ZIP code 38261 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 38261 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 38261 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38261?

The median home value in ZIP code 38261 is $136,900.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 38261?

Health data for ZIP code 38261 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 38261 in?

ZIP code 38261 observes the CST timezone.