PlainZIP

Big Sandy, TN · standard

ZIP Code 38221

Benton County, Tennessee - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

3,308
12/sq mi
$52,714
Median income
$139,100
Median home value
11.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Big Sandy pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

18th pct
household income, US ZIPs
22th pct
home value, US ZIPs
12
people per sq mi
64%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38221 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38221 covers 280.3 square miles in Big Sandy, Benton County, Tennessee (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,308 residents on file, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38221 reports a modest median household income of $52,714 (21% below the Tennessee average), while per-capita income is $28,742. Poverty here runs at 19.0%, with unemployment measured at 8.4%. On housing, the median home value is $139,100 (44% below the state average) with median rent at $639 per month, and 64.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.8, and the average commute is 29 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 38221, plus 3 more within Benton County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 38221

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Big Sandy, TN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38221.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 38221, Big Sandy, 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

3,308

Population

280.3

Area (sq mi)

12

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 38221?

52.8

Median Age

49.0%

Male

51.0%

Female

1.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.8%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

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?

$52,714

Median Household Income

-21% vs state

$28,742

Per Capita Income

19.0%

Poverty Rate

8.4%

Unemployment Rate

29.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38221 ranks nationally

Big Sandy, TN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$52,714 18th percentile higher than 18% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 56.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,986

Total Housing Units

1,468

Occupied Units

518

Vacant Units

2.11

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.0%
Renter 36.0%

$139,100

Median Home Value

-44% vs state

$639

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 38221, employing approximately 108 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,429,000.

23

Businesses

108

Employees

$2.4M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 6 26.1%
Construction 5 21.7%
Accommodation and food services 3 13.0%

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 38221 vs 38256 →

ZIP 38221 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 38221 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 38221 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 38221 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
38256 Springville, TN 3,089 6.8 mi
38333 Eva, TN 523 9.2 mi
37175 Stewart, TN 1,015 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Benton County

38320 standard
Camden, TN
Pop: 10,686
38341 standard
Holladay, TN
Pop: 2,252
38333 standard
Eva, TN
Pop: 523

Related Areas

Benton County Big Sandy, TN Tennessee

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38221 in? ▼
ZIP code 38221 (Big Sandy) is located in Benton County, Tennessee. Benton County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/benton-tn.
What is the population of ZIP code 38221? ▼
ZIP code 38221 in Big Sandy, TN has a population of 3,308 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38221? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38221 is $52,714, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38221? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38221 is $139,100, which is 50% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38221? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38221 is White at 91.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38221? ▼
ZIP code 38221 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 108 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38221? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38221 are: Retail trade (6), Construction (5), Accommodation and food services (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38221? ▼
In ZIP code 38221, 56.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.5% 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 38221? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38221 is 29.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38221? ▼
In ZIP code 38221, approximately 64.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38221? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38221 is 19.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.