Town · Tennessee
Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage, town, in Smith County, Tennessee. Carthage had 2,282 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,291 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,327 (±465). GEOID 4711280.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,282
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,291 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,327 ±465
Median household income
$67,006
±$14,870 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$257,300
±$39,795 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$934
±$235 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Carthage and what county is it in?
Carthage is a town in Smith County, Tennessee. It covers 2.9 square miles of land, 789 residents per square mile in 2020.
Carthage is in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 14 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Carthage, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,282 people lived in Carthage on July 1, 2025, down 0.1% since 2020, while Tennessee grew 5.8%. The 2020 Census counted 2,291 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,327 (±465).
| Measure | Carthage | Smith County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,327 ±465 | 20,389 | no clear change |
| Households | 899 ±146 | 7,932 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.40 ±0.31 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 996 ±147 | 8,752 | no clear change |
Carthage's population since 2000
From 2,251 in 2000 to 2,282 in 2025: up 1.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Carthage as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Carthage?
The median resident of Carthage is 38.0 years old; 19.5% are under 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.2%.
| Measure | Carthage | Smith County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 ±5.7 | 40.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.5% ±7.1 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.4% ±5.7 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Male | 45.6% ±4.6 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.4% ±2.7 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.1% ±6.7 pts | 90.0% | −7.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±3.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.2% ±3.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±2.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.6% ±3.0 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±4.3 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 13.5% ±4.6 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.9% ±4.4 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.2% ±4.1 pts | 88.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.3% ±6.3 pts | 18.5% | +9.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.7% ±4.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.6% ±9.5 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Carthage earn?
Half of Carthage's 899 households earn less than $67,006 a year (±$14,870), against $66,293 in Smith County and $69,595 in Tennessee. In 2015-2019 the median was $48,850 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $18,156 after inflation. 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Carthage | Smith County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,006 ±$14,870 | $66,293 | +$18,156 |
| Mean household income | $79,316 ±$10,637 | $85,956 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,573 ±$4,136 | $33,386 | +$6,599 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.3% ±4.3 pts | 10.0% | −9.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.5% ±6.6 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.3% ±6.9 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.8% ±8.3 pts | 87.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Carthage?
Owners occupy 62.8% of Carthage's occupied homes and renters 37.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $257,300 by its owner (±$39,795). The median renter pays $934 a month including utilities, and 30.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Carthage | Smith County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $257,300 ±$39,795 | $243,800 | +$120,693 |
| Median gross rent | $934 ±$235 | $922 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.1% ±16.9 pts | 28.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,413 ±$182 | $1,389 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 62.8% ±10.3 pts | 76.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 37.2% ±10.3 pts | 23.1% | – |
| Housing units | 996 ±147 | 8,752 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.9% ±5.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.1% ±8.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.0% ±7.7 pts | 72.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.4% ±4.5 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.2% ±6.2 pts | 3.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Carthage building?
Builders took permits for 8 new housing units in Carthage in 2025 (8 in single-family houses), 3.5 per 1,000 residents against 5.9 across Tennessee.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Carthage work and get to work?
84.6% of Carthage's workers drive alone and 7.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.8 minutes.
| Measure | Carthage | Smith County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.6% ±5.2 pts | 61.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.4 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.6% ±6.3 pts | 79.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.6% ±2.7 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.2% ±4.1 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.8 min ±4.5 | 32.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Carthage?
1 census tract lies mostly in Carthage (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9751Smith County | 2,999 | $69,250 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Carthage) · Census block assignment files
How does Carthage compare with other places in Tennessee?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Carthage is the 7,207th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 158th-most populous of 345 in Tennessee.
Carthage ranks 108th of 287 places in Tennessee with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 158th | 345 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 178th | 230 |
| Residents per square mile | 119th | 289 |
| Median household income | 108th | 287 |
| Per capita income | 139th | 289 |
| Median home value | 102nd | 285 |
| Median gross rent | 112th | 265 |
| Poverty rate | 189th | 239 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 116th | 276 |
| Median age | 190th | 289 |
| Owner-occupied share | 181st | 289 |
| Work from home | 137th | 167 |
| Travel time to work | 171st | 288 |
Carthage's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Carthage with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Carthage?
21 of the 57 figures for Carthage on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Carthage are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Carthage.