Town · Tennessee
Selmer, Tennessee
Selmer, town, in McNairy County, Tennessee. Selmer had 4,575 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,446 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,488 (±18). GEOID 4766940.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,575
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,446 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,488 ±18
Median household income
$51,591
±$11,212 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$155,900
±$27,747 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$674
±$128 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Selmer and what county is it in?
Selmer is a town in McNairy County, Tennessee. It covers 9.6 square miles of land, 466 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 Selmer, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,575 people lived in Selmer on July 1, 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, slower than Tennessee (+5.8%). The 2020 Census counted 4,446 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,488 (±18).
| Measure | Selmer | McNairy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,488 ±18 | 25,970 | +147 |
| Households | 1,862 ±194 | 9,939 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.30 ±0.24 | 2.58 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,400 ±216 | 12,327 | +589 |
Selmer's population since 2000
From 4,541 in 2000 to 4,575 in 2025: up 0.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Selmer 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 Selmer?
The median resident of Selmer is 39.6 years old; 19.4% are under 18 and 19.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.3%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 14.5%.
| Measure | Selmer | McNairy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.6 ±7.2 | 42.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.4% ±4.1 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.6% ±4.3 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Male | 45.5% ±4.3 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.3% ±4.8 pts | 89.0% | −9.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 14.5% ±5.5 pts | 5.4% | +9.6 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±4.7 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8% ±2.1 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 20.9% ±6.3 pts | 16.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.4% ±4.8 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.2% ±4.8 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.2% ±5.2 pts | 13.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.1% ±3.3 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.1% ±4.2 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
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 Selmer earn?
Half of Selmer's 1,862 households earn less than $51,591 a year (±$11,212), against $53,473 in McNairy County and $69,595 in Tennessee. In 2015-2019 it was $44,908 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 23.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Selmer | McNairy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,591 ±$11,212 | $53,473 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $63,358 ±$9,672 | $69,996 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,994 ±$4,105 | $27,905 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 23.6% ±8.7 pts | 16.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.4% ±18.0 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.5% ±9.1 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.2% ±4.3 pts | 90.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.8% ±4.9 pts | 84.4% | – |
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 Selmer?
Owners occupy 69.3% of Selmer's occupied homes and renters 30.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,900 by its owner (±$27,747). The median renter pays $674 a month including utilities, and 26.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Selmer | McNairy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $155,900 ±$27,747 | $161,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $674 ±$128 | $723 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.5% ±15.4 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,209 ±$220 | $1,137 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.3% ±9.3 pts | 79.7% | +14.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.7% ±9.3 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Housing units | 2,400 ±216 | 12,327 | +589 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.8% ±7.0 pts | 78.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.5% ±6.5 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.5% ±3.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.9% ±3.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.9% ±5.1 pts | 4.6% | – |
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 Selmer building?
Builders took permits for 23 new housing units in Selmer in 2025 (23 in single-family houses), 5.0 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 Selmer work and get to work?
72.4% of Selmer's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.8 minutes.
| Measure | Selmer | McNairy County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.2% ±7.4 pts | 53.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±3.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.4% ±11.3 pts | 78.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 22.5% ±11.1 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±2.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.6% ±4.5 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.8 min ±4.9 | 26.8 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 Selmer?
1 census tract lies mostly in Selmer, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9305.02McNairy County | 4,753 | $38,493 |
| Tract 9305.01McNairy County | 2,436 | $53,910 |
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 Selmer) · Census block assignment files
How does Selmer compare with other places in Tennessee?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Selmer is the 5,155th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 110th-most populous of 345 in Tennessee.
Selmer ranks 187th 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 | 110th | 345 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 141st | 230 |
| Residents per square mile | 206th | 289 |
| Median household income | 187th | 287 |
| Per capita income | 209th | 289 |
| Median home value | 228th | 285 |
| Median gross rent | 240th | 265 |
| Poverty rate | 51st | 239 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 192nd | 276 |
| Median age | 161st | 289 |
| Owner-occupied share | 135th | 289 |
| Travel time to work | 218th | 288 |
Selmer's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Selmer 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 Selmer?
19 of the 57 figures for Selmer 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 Selmer 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 Selmer.