Town · Tennessee
Gates, Tennessee
Gates, town, in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Gates had 645 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 664 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 619 (±189). GEOID 4728740.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
645
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 664 · ACS 2020-2024: 619 ±189
Median household income
$51,146
±$17,262 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$96,300
±$25,264 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$629
±$374 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Gates and what county is it in?
Gates is a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 942 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Gates, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 645 people lived in Gates on July 1, 2025, down 2.6% since 2020, while Tennessee grew 5.8%. The 2020 Census counted 664 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 619 (±189).
| Measure | Gates | Lauderdale County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 619 ±189 | 24,784 | no clear change |
| Households | 247 ±74 | 9,325 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.51 ±0.50 | 2.43 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 273 ±78 | 10,703 | no clear change |
Gates's population since 2000
From 901 in 2000 to 645 in 2025: down 28.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Gates 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 Gates?
The median resident of Gates is 35.5 years old; 22.8% are under 18 and 15.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 61.2%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 35.4%.
| Measure | Gates | Lauderdale County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.5 ±11.9 | 39.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.8% ±7.3 pts | 21.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.5% ±8.4 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±6.7 pts | 52.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% ±4.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 35.4% ±16.3 pts | 58.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 61.2% ±17.5 pts | 33.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.8 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.3% ±3.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 18.7% ±9.3 pts | 22.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.2% ±7.4 pts | 10.2% | +8.1 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.9% ±9.2 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 6.6% ±3.1 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.2% ±2.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.0% ±9.5 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.7% ±2.2 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 Gates earn?
Half of Gates's 247 households earn less than $51,146 a year (±$17,262), against $49,879 in Lauderdale County and $69,595 in Tennessee. In 2015-2019 it was $35,896 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Gates | Lauderdale County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,146 ±$17,262 | $49,879 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $50,514 ±$15,059 | $66,819 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,648 ±$4,882 | $26,653 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 28.6% ±17.8 pts | 21.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 46.1% ±26.9 pts | 28.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 30.8% ±14.1 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.2% ±10.8 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.6% ±10.2 pts | 86.0% | – |
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 Gates?
Owners occupy 39.7% of Gates's occupied homes and renters 60.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $96,300 by its owner (±$25,264). The median renter pays $629 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Gates | Lauderdale County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $96,300 ±$25,264 | $143,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $629 ±$374 | $774 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.1% ±25.8 pts | 40.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $800 ±$423 | $1,163 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 39.7% ±14.9 pts | 64.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 60.3% ±14.9 pts | 35.6% | – |
| Housing units | 273 ±78 | 10,703 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±34.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.1% ±7.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 67.8% ±13.8 pts | 75.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.3% ±6.0 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.3% ±15.0 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.2% ±6.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4% ±3.0 pts | 9.1% | – |
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 Gates building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Gates in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 3.1 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 Gates work and get to work?
84.4% of Gates's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 35.1 minutes.
| Measure | Gates | Lauderdale County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.8% ±14.7 pts | 47.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 30.7% ±23.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.4% ±9.4 pts | 84.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.7% ±6.1 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±21.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±21.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.0% ±6.1 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 35.1 min ±8.5 | 26.5 min | +12.6 min |
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 Gates?
No census tract lies mostly in Gates; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 503Lauderdale County | 2,707 | $57,000 |
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 Gates) · Census block assignment files
How does Gates compare with other places in Tennessee?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Gates is the 12,175th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 269th-most populous of 345 in Tennessee.
Gates is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 269th | 345 |
Gates's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Gates 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 Gates?
24 of the 57 figures for Gates 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 Gates 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 Gates.