Residential delivery area · Tennessee
ZIP Code 38501: Cookeville, TN
ZIP code 38501 uses the postal name Cookeville, Tennessee and lies mostly in Putnam County (63% of its land), reaching into Jackson County and Overton County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 42,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the most populous of Cookeville's 4 residential ZIP codes. Median household income is $52,145 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Cookeville (24%) and Dodson Branch (13%); 64% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Cookeville · 4 residential ZIPs
- County
- Putnam County (63%); Jackson County (35%); Overton County (1%)
- Census places
- Cookeville (24%); Dodson Branch (13%) census-designated place
- Neighborhoods
- Ashcroft Subdivision, Bilbrey Park, Bill Smith Subdivision, Briargate, Capshaw Woods, College Heights and 24 more GeoNames
- Micro area
- Cookeville, TN
- House district
- TN-6 119th Congress
- State
- Tennessee
- Time zone
- Central
- Land area
- 87.1 sq mi · 488 people per sq mi
- PO Box ZIPs
- 38502 also use the name Cookeville
Where is ZIP code 38501?
38501 centers on 36.226°, -85.533° and covers 87.1 square miles of land plus 0.2 of water. It borders 7 ZIP codes: 38505, 38503, 38506, 38545, 38544, 38562, 38568.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 38501, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0); neighborhoods from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0), placed in this ZIP code by PlainZIP.
How does 38501 compare with the rest of Cookeville?
| Measure | 38501 | In Cookeville | In Putnam County | In TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 42,471 | 1st of 4 | 1st of 11 | 28th of 636 |
| Median household income | $52k | 2nd of 2 | 6th of 6 | 329th of 425 |
| Median home value | $285k | 2nd of 2 | 2nd of 5 | 142nd of 436 |
Its median household income is higher than in 17% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 72% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 38501?
The 2020 Census counted 41,141 people in 38501; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 42,471. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 12.1% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 42,471
- 2020 Census count
- 41,141+12.1% since 2010 (36,687)
- Households
- 17,574
- Median age
- 31.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 38501?
Of the 42,471 people the ACS estimates in 38501, 19.3% are under 18 and 14.2% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (80.8%).
- Under 1819.3%
- 18 to 6466.5%
- 65 and older14.2%
- White, not Hispanic80.8%
- Hispanic or Latino9.5%
- Other or two or more4.6%
- Black, not Hispanic3.8%
- Asian, not Hispanic1.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 38501 earn?
Median household income is $52,145 (ACS 2020-2024), the 6th highest of the 6 ranked ZIP codes in Putnam County. It rose from $47,237 in 2015-2019 (in 2024 dollars), a change larger than the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $52,145
- Income per person
- $29,719
- Below the poverty line
- 21.4%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 4.1%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 31.4%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $66,88917,130 returns; wages 63% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 38501?
FHFA's house price index for 38501, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 118% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 65% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +3.3% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $284,600
- Median gross rent
- $883
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 48.9%
- Housing units
- 19,357
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 38501?
1,341 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 51 more than in 2018; the most are in retail trade (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Retail trade266
- Health care and social assistance200
- Accommodation and food services164
- Other services (except public administration)155
- Professional, scientific, and technical services109
- Finance and insurance100
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 38501?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38505 | Cookeville | 960 | – | 4.0 mi |
| 38503 | Cookeville | 0 | – | 4.6 mi |
| 38506 | Cookeville | 30,100 | $70k | 6.2 mi |
| 38545 | Bloomington Springs | 1,575 | $60k | 7.1 mi |
| 38544 | Baxter | 8,175 | $70k | 10.4 mi |
| 38562 | Gainesboro | 6,493 | $39k | 11.2 mi |
| 38568 | Hilham | 2,243 | $62k | 15.1 mi |
| 38564 | Granville | 501 | $89k | 12.5 mi (near) |
| 38580 | Rickman | 1,609 | $70k | 13.7 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.