Saint Joseph, TN · standard
ZIP Code 38481
Lawrence County, Tennessee - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 896
- 30/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $49,567
- Median income Below-median income area
- $192,700
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 16.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Saint Joseph pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 14th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 30
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38481 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 38481 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Saint Joseph, Lawrence County, Tennessee, home to just 896 residents across 30.4 square miles, a density of 30 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 38481 reports a modest median household income of $49,567 (25% below the average Tennessee ZIP), while per-capita income is $44,422. The poverty rate is 16.6%, with unemployment at 0.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $192,700 (22% below the average Tennessee ZIP), and median rent is $628; owner occupancy is 84.3%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lawrence County, so 38481 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 →
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 38481, Saint Joseph, 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
896
Population
30.4
Area (sq mi)
30
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 38481?
42.5
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
1.6%
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?
$49,567
Median Household Income
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$44,422
Per Capita Income
16.6%
Poverty Rate
0.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 38481 ranks among Tennessee ZIPs
Saint Joseph, 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)
$49,567 20th percentile higher than 20% 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
431housing units
431
Total Housing Units
395
Occupied Units
36
Vacant Units
2.25
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$192,700
Median Home Value
-22% vs state ZIP avg
$628
Median Rent
1974
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 11 business establishments in ZIP 38481, employing approximately 40 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,130,000.
11
Businesses
40
Employees
$1.1M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6 | 54.5% |
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 38481 vs 38469 →
ZIP 38481 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35645
Killen (35645)
14,060 residents
- 35634
Florence (35634)
9,711 residents
- 38469 4,092
Loretto (38469)
4,092 residents
- 35648 3,635
Lexington (35648)
3,635 residents
- 38486 967
Westpoint (38486)
967 residents
- 38481 896
Saint Joseph (38481)
896 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 38481 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 38481 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35645
Killen (35645)
$87,958 median income
- 35648
Lexington (35648)
$79,500 median income
- 35634
Florence (35634)
$71,452 median income
- 38469
Loretto (38469)
$67,566 median income
- 38481
Saint Joseph (38481)
$49,567 median income
- 38486
Westpoint (38486)
$48,953 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 38481 ranks #5 of 6 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 38481, both outside TN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lawrence County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 38481 in?
ZIP code 38481 (Saint Joseph) is located in Lawrence County, Tennessee. Lawrence County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lawrence-tn.
What is the population of ZIP code 38481?
ZIP code 38481 in Saint Joseph, TN has a population of 896 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38481?
The median household income in ZIP 38481 is $49,567, which is 35% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38481?
The median home value in ZIP 38481 is $192,700, which is 31% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38481?
The largest racial group in ZIP 38481 is White at 92.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38481?
ZIP code 38481 has 11 business establishments employing approximately 40 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38481?
In ZIP code 38481, 60.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38481?
In ZIP code 38481, approximately 84.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38481?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38481 is 16.6% 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 38481's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 38481 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Saint Joseph, TN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.