Brownsville, TN · standard
ZIP Code 38012
Haywood County, Tennessee - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,575
- 21/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $45,974
- Median income Below-median income area
- $161,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Brownsville pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 10th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 30th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 21
- people per sq mi
- 56%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38012 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 38012 (Brownsville, TN) rose +21.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 184.3 in 2023 to 224.0 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 38012 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Brownsville, Haywood County, Tennessee, home to 14,575 residents across 700.7 square miles, a density of 21 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 38012 reports a modest median household income of $45,974 (31% below the average Tennessee ZIP), while per-capita income is $26,158. The poverty rate is 23.3%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $161,500 (35% below the average Tennessee ZIP), and median rent is $759; owner occupancy is 55.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43, and the average commute is 24 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 1 more in Haywood County, so 38012 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 38012
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Brownsville, TN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38012.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
45 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
45 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
35 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
27 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
25 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 38012, Brownsville, TN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
14,575
Population
700.7
Area (sq mi)
21
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 38012?
43.0
Median Age
45.6%
Male
54.4%
Female
1.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$45,974
Median Household Income
-31% vs state ZIP avg
$26,158
Per Capita Income
23.3%
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
23.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 38012 ranks among Tennessee ZIPs
Brownsville, TN household income vs. every Tennessee ZIP code
Median household income among 593 reporting Tennessee ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$45,974 13th percentile higher than 13% of 593 Tennessee ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Tennessee ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
6,031housing units
6,031
Total Housing Units
5,373
Occupied Units
658
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$161,500
Median Home Value
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$759
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+21.5%
YoY Change (2024)
224
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+124%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 38012 have increased 21.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +124% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +7.4% | 125 |
| 2021 | +10.8% | 139 |
| 2022 | +18.8% | 165 |
| 2023 | +11.8% | 184 |
| 2024 | +21.5% | 224 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 260 business establishments in ZIP 38012, employing approximately 3,754 people with a combined annual payroll of $186,053,000.
260
Businesses
3,754
Employees
$186.1M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 45 | 17.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 45 | 17.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35 | 13.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 27 | 10.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 25 | 9.6% |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 5.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 13 | 5.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 12 | 4.6% |
| Construction | 10 | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 3.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 9 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 3.1% |
| Information | 7 | 2.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 38012 vs 38069 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38069 | Stanton, TN | 2,376 | 11.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 38012, both outside TN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (14,575 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Haywood County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 38012 in?
ZIP code 38012 (Brownsville) is located in Haywood County, Tennessee. Haywood County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/haywood-tn.
What is the population of ZIP code 38012?
ZIP code 38012 in Brownsville, TN has a population of 14,575 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38012?
The median household income in ZIP 38012 is $45,974, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38012?
The median home value in ZIP 38012 is $161,500, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38012?
The largest racial group in ZIP 38012 is African American at 56.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38012?
ZIP code 38012 has 260 business establishments employing approximately 3,754 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38012?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38012 are: Retail trade (45), Other services (except public administration) (45), Accommodation and food services (35). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 38012?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 38012 increased by 21.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 124%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38012?
In ZIP code 38012, 60.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 38012?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38012 is 23.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38012?
In ZIP code 38012, approximately 55.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 44.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38012?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38012 is 23.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 38012's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 38012 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Brownsville, TN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.