PlainZIP

South Fulton, TN · standard

ZIP Code 38257

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

4,397
31/sq mi
$58,849
Median income
$103,100
Median home value
16.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

South Fulton pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

27th pct
household income, US ZIPs
11th pct
home value, US ZIPs
31
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38257 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38257 covers 141.4 square miles in South Fulton, Obion County, Tennessee (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,397 residents on file, a density of 31 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38257 reports a modest median household income of $58,849 (11% below the Tennessee average), while per-capita income is $31,560. The poverty rate stands at 18.7% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $103,100 (58% below the state average) with median rent at $795 per month, and 72.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.1, and the average commute is 19 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 38257, plus 6 more within Obion 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 38257

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in South Fulton, TN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38257.

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 38257, South Fulton, 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

4,397

Population

141.4

Area (sq mi)

31

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 38257?

45.1

Median Age

43.9%

Male

56.1%

Female

0.2%

Foreign-Born

White 80.9%
African American 13.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

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?

$58,849

Median Household Income

-11% vs state

$31,560

Per Capita Income

18.7%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

18.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38257 ranks nationally

South Fulton, TN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$58,849 27th percentile higher than 27% 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 63.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.3%

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

What does housing look like?

2,168

Total Housing Units

1,879

Occupied Units

289

Vacant Units

2.36

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.9%
Renter 27.1%

$103,100

Median Home Value

-58% vs state

$795

Median Rent

1974

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

+19.1%

YoY Change (2024)

203

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+103%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 38257 have increased 19.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +103% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2019 +1.7% 135
2020 +3.5% 140
2021 +19.4% 167
2022 +19.1% 199
2024 – 203

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 45 business establishments in ZIP 38257, employing approximately 560 people with a combined annual payroll of $34,337,000.

45

Businesses

560

Employees

$34.3M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 6 13.3%
Retail trade 6 13.3%
Accommodation and food services 6 13.3%
Health care and social assistance 5 11.1%
Finance and insurance 4 8.9%
Other services (except public administration) 4 8.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 6.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 6.7%

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 38257 vs 42041 →

ZIP 38257 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 38257 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 38257 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 38257 ranks the highest 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
42041 Fulton, KY 4,627 6.0 mi
38237 Martin, TN 16,627 7.3 mi
42085 Water Valley, KY 918 8.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Obion County

38261 standard
Union City, TN
Pop: 16,919
38260 standard
Troy, TN
Pop: 3,804
38240 standard
Obion, TN
Pop: 2,259
38232 standard
Hornbeak, TN
Pop: 1,998
38253 standard
Rives, TN
Pop: 1,156
38254 standard
Samburg, TN
Pop: 85

Related Areas

Obion County South Fulton, TN Tennessee

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38257 in? ▼
ZIP code 38257 (South Fulton) is located in Obion County, Tennessee. Obion County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/obion-tn.
What is the population of ZIP code 38257? ▼
ZIP code 38257 in South Fulton, TN has a population of 4,397 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38257? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38257 is $58,849, which is 23% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38257? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38257 is $103,100, which is 63% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38257? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38257 is White at 80.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38257? ▼
ZIP code 38257 has 45 business establishments employing approximately 560 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38257? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38257 are: Manufacturing (6), Retail trade (6), Accommodation and food services (6). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 38257? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 38257 increased by 19.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 103%. 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 38257? ▼
In ZIP code 38257, 63.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.3% 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 38257? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38257 is 18.5 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 38257? ▼
In ZIP code 38257, approximately 72.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38257? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38257 is 18.7% 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.