ZIP 38556 vs ZIP 38553

This side-by-side compares ZIP 38556 (Jamestown, TN) and ZIP 38553 (Clarkrange, TN) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 38556 has a population of 12,540 at 15 people per square mile, while ZIP 38553 has 2,312 at 19 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 38556 reports a median household income of $45,443 against $63,500 in ZIP 38553, with per-capita income of $24,927 vs $25,443. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 14.3% in 38556 and 22.7% in 38553. Poverty rate reads 23.9% vs 17.2%, and unemployment 3.0% vs 12.0% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $160,700 in 38556 versus $174,800 in 38553, with median rent of $634 and — per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 77.3% vs 89.7%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.