PlainZIP

Union City, TN · standard

ZIP Code 38261

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

16,919
35/sq mi
$55,876
Median income
$153,400
Median home value
21.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Union City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

22th pct
household income, US ZIPs
27th pct
home value, US ZIPs
35
people per sq mi
61%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38261 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38261 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Union City, Obion County, Tennessee, home to 16,919 residents across 483.4 square miles, a density of 35 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38261 reports a modest median household income of $55,876 (16% below the Tennessee average), while per-capita income is $30,444. The poverty rate stands at 19.9% and the unemployment rate at 5.4%. Housing costs here run $153,400 for a typical home value (38% below the state average), with rent averaging $761 a month; 61.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.8, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Obion County, so you can benchmark 38261 against its immediate geography rather than a 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 38261

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Union City, TN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38261.

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 38261, Union City, 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

16,919

Population

483.4

Area (sq mi)

35

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 38261?

39.8

Median Age

47.3%

Male

52.7%

Female

4.5%

Foreign-Born

White 71.9%
African American 14.9%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

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?

$55,876

Median Household Income

-16% vs state

$30,444

Per Capita Income

19.9%

Poverty Rate

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

17.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38261 ranks nationally

Union City, TN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$55,876 22nd percentile higher than 22% 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 62.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.3%

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

What does housing look like?

7,306

Total Housing Units

6,503

Occupied Units

803

Vacant Units

2.47

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 61.2%
Renter 38.8%

$153,400

Median Home Value

-38% vs state

$761

Median Rent

1973

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

+12.4%

YoY Change (2024)

211

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+111%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 38261 have increased 12.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +111% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.1% 140
2021 +13.5% 159
2022 +14.0% 181
2023 +3.9% 188
2024 +12.4% 211

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 466 business establishments in ZIP 38261, employing approximately 7,615 people with a combined annual payroll of $306,050,000.

466

Businesses

7,615

Employees

$306.1M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 92 19.7%
Health care and social assistance 63 13.5%
Accommodation and food services 46 9.9%
Other services (except public administration) 45 9.7%
Finance and insurance 39 8.4%
Construction 30 6.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 30 6.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 27 5.8%
Manufacturing 23 4.9%
Wholesale trade 23 4.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 16 3.4%
Transportation and warehousing 14 3.0%
Information 6 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.6%

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 38261 vs 38260 →

ZIP 38261 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 38261 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 38261 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 38261 ranks #2 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
38260 Troy, TN 3,804 7.0 mi
38253 Rives, TN 1,156 10.0 mi
42050 Hickman, KY 3,256 10.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Obion County

38257 standard
South Fulton, TN
Pop: 4,397
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 Union City, TN Tennessee

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38261 in? ▼
ZIP code 38261 (Union City) 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 38261? ▼
ZIP code 38261 in Union City, TN has a population of 16,919 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38261? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38261 is $55,876, which is 27% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38261? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38261 is $153,400, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38261? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38261 is White at 71.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38261? ▼
ZIP code 38261 has 466 business establishments employing approximately 7,615 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38261? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38261 are: Retail trade (92), Health care and social assistance (63), Accommodation and food services (46). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 38261? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 38261 increased by 12.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 111%. 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 38261? ▼
In ZIP code 38261, 62.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.3% 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 38261? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38261 is 17.3 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 38261? ▼
In ZIP code 38261, approximately 61.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 38.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38261? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38261 is 19.9% 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.