Population
194 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Tennessee
City profile · Tennessee · Census ACS 2023
Elgin, TN
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Elgin - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 194
- Residents
- $22,656
- Median income
- $925
- Median rent (state)
Elgin - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Elgin places in the 1st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 1st
- percentile, household income
- 7th
- percentile, median rent
📝 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: Elgin, TN
Tennessee's Elgin is a small town, with 194 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $22,656 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.6%. The median resident age is 42.6 years. Educational attainment runs 0.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 33.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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 $925 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Tennessee run around $218, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 26.1 out of 100 (Very Low).
Median Household Income
$22,656 /yr
Poverty 22.6%
Cost of Living Index (state)
91.9 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Tennessee average
How does Elgin compare to other US cities?
Where Elgin sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 1% higher than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Elgin against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Tennessee only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Tennessee-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Elgin near the bottom of Tennessee's cities
Among the 482 Tennessee cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Elgin ranks #341 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Elgin only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#455 of 458
1st percentile in Tennessee
Median Gross Rent
#341 of 482
0th percentile in Tennessee
Poverty Rate
#69 of 482
86th percentile in Tennessee
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#466 of 482
3rd 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.
1st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 0.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 22.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 33.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
194
Median Income
$22,656
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
42.6
Poverty Rate
22.6%
Labor force participation
33.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
0.7%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
100.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 47 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 Elgin sits in
Cost of Living Index
91.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$925/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
26.1 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Tennessee
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Elgin's 194 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Elgin's $22,656 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Elgin compares to nearby Tennessee cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TN OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Elgin, TN?
What is the population of Elgin, TN? +
The population of Elgin, TN stands at 194 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Elgin, TN? +
Median annual household income in Elgin runs $22,656, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Elgin? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Elgin; 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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 PlainCitiesEvery 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.