City profile · Tennessee · Census ACS 2023

Carthage, TN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Carthage - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,369
Residents
$65,288
Median income
$239,600
Median home
$1,051
Median rent (state)

Carthage - the verdict

Nationally, Carthage sits in the 43rd percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

43rd
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
24th
percentile, median rent
19th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Carthage, TN

Carthage is a small town in Tennessee, home to 2,369 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Carthage households earn a median of $65,288 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.1%. Home values in Carthage run a median of $239,600, and the median resident age is 40.3 years. 20.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 8 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 167% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2705.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Carthage's yearly average temperature at 58.5°F with 52.5 inches of precipitation per year and 1.5 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Tennessee run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Tennessee at 91.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,051 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Tennessee run around $218, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 18.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

2,369 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Tennessee

Median Household Income

$65,288 /yr

Poverty 3.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

91.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Tennessee average

How does Carthage compare to other US cities?

Carthage measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 43% higher than other cities
Home value 53% pricier than other cities
Median rent 24% pricier than other cities
Safety 19% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Tennessee alone, Carthage ranks #138 of 174 Tennessee cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Carthage against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Tennessee only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Tennessee-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Carthage toward the bottom of Tennessee's cities

Among the 482 Tennessee cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Carthage ranks #388 - the 19th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Carthage only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#161 of 458
65th percentile in Tennessee
Median Gross Rent
#231 of 482
51st percentile in Tennessee
Median Home Value
#126 of 455
72nd percentile in Tennessee
Poverty Rate
#388 of 482
19th percentile in Tennessee
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#183 of 482
62nd percentile in Tennessee

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Tennessee only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

43rdIncome percentile
19thSafety percentile

43rd percentile nationally for median household income · 19th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Carthage's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Carthage's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 41 Avg. percentile National median
Carthage's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Carthage's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$239,600 47th percentile more affordable than 47% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Carthage $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Carthage, TN Carthage, TN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Carthage, TN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Carthage, TN median $65,288/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Carthage, TN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Carthage, TN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,369
Median Income
$65,288
Median Home Value
$239,600
Median Age
40.3
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Labor force participation
61.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2705.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
532.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2172.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.5°F
Annual Precipitation
52.5"
Annual Snowfall
1.5"

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,250 residents2,260 residents2,270 residents2,280 residents2,290 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,286 residents 2,282 residents ▼ -0.2%
Carthage's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
8
housing units authorized
Single-Family
8
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 6
2021 9
2022 8
2023 7
2024 8

Permit volume increased 167% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
86.5%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
6.3%
Other
3.9%

Based on 1,241 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Tennessee - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$58
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$218
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Tennessee state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Tennessee state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Carthage sits in

Cost of Living Index
91.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,051/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
18.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Tennessee

Dyer
2,334 people
Spring City
2,299 people
Rural Hill
2,453 people
Piperton
2,457 people
Plainview
2,276 people
Mountain City
2,275 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Carthage's 2,369 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Remlap, AL
2,369 people
Bay, AR
2,369 people
Kalkaska, MI
2,370 people
Bayard, NM
2,370 people
Elmwood Place, OH
2,368 people
Middlebranch, OH
2,370 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Carthage's $65,288 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Chevy Chase Heights, PA
$65,288 median income
Delmont, PA
$65,291 median income
Jasper, IN
$65,283 median income
Orchard City, CO
$65,282 median income
Walnut, IA
$65,278 median income
Hillsboro, MO
$65,278 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Carthage, TN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Carthage, TN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.2% 6.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.4% White 86.2% Black or African American 5.3% Asian 1.4% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.5% Two or more races 6.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Carthage compares to nearby Tennessee cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Carthage (this city) 2,369 $65,288
Dyer 2,334 $50,962
Spring City 2,299 $35,957
Rural Hill 2,453 $84,310
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TN FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Carthage, TN?

What is the population of Carthage, TN? +

Carthage, TN has a population of 2,369 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Carthage, TN? +

The median household income in Carthage is $65,288 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Carthage? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Carthage; the closest available measure is the Tennessee state average, a cost of living index of 91.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Tennessee vary by metro area.

Is Carthage, TN safe? +

Carthage has a total crime rate of 2705.1 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Carthage, TN? +

Homes in Carthage carry a median value of $239,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Carthage? +

Carthage has an average annual temperature of 58.5°F, 52.5 inches of precipitation, and 1.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.