Town · Tennessee
Palmer, Tennessee
Palmer, town, in Grundy County, Tennessee. Palmer had 584 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 551 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 818 (±272). GEOID 4756560.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
584
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 551 · ACS 2020-2024: 818 ±272
Median household income
$56,447
±$2,455 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$78,900
±$20,465 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$583
±$138 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Palmer and what county is it in?
Palmer is a town in Grundy County, Tennessee. It covers 4.9 square miles of land, 112 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 Palmer, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 584 people lived in Palmer on July 1, 2025, up 5.0% since 2020, slower than Tennessee (+5.8%). The 2020 Census counted 551 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 818 (±272).
| Measure | Palmer | Grundy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 818 ±272 | 13,819 | no clear change |
| Households | 266 ±69 | 5,161 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.08 ±0.71 | 2.64 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 302 ±71 | 6,240 | no clear change |
Palmer's population since 2000
From 726 in 2000 to 584 in 2025: down 19.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Palmer 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 Palmer?
The median resident of Palmer is 40.2 years old; 30.0% are under 18 and 11.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.9%.
| Measure | Palmer | Grundy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 ±18.9 | 42.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 30.0% ±10.6 pts | 21.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.5% ±5.1 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Male | 48.9% ±9.2 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.4% ±7.7 pts | 93.8% | −9.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±2.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.9% ±5.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±3.8 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 31.8% ±8.4 pts | 24.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.4% ±6.1 pts | 13.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 77.1% ±8.4 pts | 82.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 7.4% ±5.2 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.4% ±3.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.2% ±8.7 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±1.2 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 Palmer earn?
Half of Palmer's 266 households earn less than $56,447 a year (±$2,455), against $47,593 in Grundy County and $69,595 in Tennessee. In 2015-2019 the median was $33,940 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $22,507 after inflation.
| Measure | Palmer | Grundy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,447 ±$2,455 | $47,593 | +$22,507 |
| Mean household income | $52,335 ±$8,549 | $62,286 | – |
| Per capita income | $16,724 ±$3,627 | $25,175 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.7% ±10.2 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.8% ±9.9 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 39.1% ±13.9 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.7% ±8.1 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.0% ±7.9 pts | 87.3% | – |
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 Palmer?
Owners occupy 86.1% of Palmer's occupied homes and renters 13.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $78,900 by its owner (±$20,465). The median renter pays $583 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Palmer | Grundy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $78,900 ±$20,465 | $154,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $583 ±$138 | $636 | −$175 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.0% ±32.6 pts | 28.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,000 ±$370 | $1,072 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.1% ±10.6 pts | 83.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.9% ±10.6 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Housing units | 302 ±71 | 6,240 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±57.4 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.2% ±11.6 pts | 69.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 36.8% ±11.6 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 4.3% ±6.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.2% ±8.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.6% ±7.8 pts | 4.5% | – |
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 do people in Palmer work and get to work?
86.9% of Palmer's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 40.2 minutes.
| Measure | Palmer | Grundy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.7% ±10.8 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% ±7.1 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.9% ±12.9 pts | 79.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±14.7 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±14.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.2 min ±9.2 | 35.1 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 Palmer?
No census tract lies mostly in Palmer; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9552Grundy County | 4,041 | $47,650 |
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 Palmer) · Census block assignment files
How does Palmer compare with other places in Tennessee?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Palmer is the 12,578th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 276th-most populous of 345 in Tennessee.
Palmer 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 | 276th | 345 |
Palmer's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Palmer 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 Palmer?
25 of the 57 figures for Palmer 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 Palmer 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 Palmer.