Paris, TN · standard
ZIP Code 38242
Henry County, Tennessee - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,151
- 42/sq mi
- $47,938
- Median income
- $173,600
- Median home value
- 20.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Paris pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 12th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 36th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 42
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38242 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 38242 (Paris, TN) rose +4.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 209.9 in 2023 to 219.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 38242 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee, with 20,151 residents across 477.5 square miles, a density of 42 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 38242 reports a modest median household income of $47,938 (28% below the average Tennessee ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,294. The poverty rate is 19.7%, with unemployment at 3.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $173,600 (30% below the average Tennessee ZIP), and median rent is $782; owner occupancy is 67.1%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.4, and the average commute is 19 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Henry County, so 38242 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 38242
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Paris, TN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38242.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
117 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
76 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
63 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
55 establishments
- Finance and insurance 46
Finance and insurance
46 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 38242, Paris, 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
20,151
Population
477.5
Area (sq mi)
42
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 38242?
44.4
Median Age
47.9%
Male
52.1%
Female
1.8%
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?
$47,938
Median Household Income
-28% vs state ZIP avg
$30,294
Per Capita Income
19.7%
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Unemployment Rate
18.7 min
Mean Commute Time
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
9,247housing units
9,247
Total Housing Units
7,888
Occupied Units
1,359
Vacant Units
2.40
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$173,600
Median Home Value
-30% vs state ZIP avg
$782
Median Rent
1979
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
+4.6%
YoY Change (2024)
220
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+120%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 38242 have increased 4.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +120% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.0% | 145 |
| 2021 | +14.5% | 166 |
| 2022 | +14.4% | 191 |
| 2023 | +10.2% | 210 |
| 2024 | +4.6% | 220 |
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 574 business establishments in ZIP 38242, employing approximately 8,205 people with a combined annual payroll of $347,451,000.
574
Businesses
8,205
Employees
$347.5M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 117 | 20.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 76 | 13.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 63 | 11.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 55 | 9.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 46 | 8.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 38 | 6.6% |
| Construction | 37 | 6.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 31 | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 26 | 4.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 20 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11 | 1.9% |
| Information | 10 | 1.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 9 | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 0.9% |
| Educational services | 4 | 0.7% |
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 38242 vs 38251 →
ZIP 38242 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 38242
Paris (38242)
20,151 residents
- 38251 2,751
Puryear (38251)
2,751 residents
- 38231 1,664
Henry (38231)
1,664 residents
- 38236 662
Mansfield (38236)
662 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 38242 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 38242 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 38236
Mansfield (38236)
$63,598 median income
- 38251
Puryear (38251)
$54,449 median income
- 38242
Paris (38242)
$47,938 median income
- 38231
Henry (38231)
$37,188 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 38242 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 38242, 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 (20,151 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.