Residential delivery area · Tennessee
ZIP Code 38544: Baxter, TN
ZIP code 38544 uses the postal name Baxter, Tennessee and lies mostly in Putnam County (91% of its land) with the rest in DeKalb County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 8,200 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $69,823 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, 4% of its land lies in Baxter; 96% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Baxter · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Putnam County (91%); DeKalb County (9%)
- Census places
- Baxter
- Micro area
- Cookeville, TN
- House district
- TN-6 119th Congress
- State
- Tennessee
- Time zone
- Central
- Land area
- 79.2 sq mi · 103 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 38544?
38544 centers on 36.110°, -85.652° and covers 79.2 square miles of land plus 3.0 of water. It borders 8 ZIP codes: 38582, 38545, 38548, 38501, 38564, 38506, 37166, 38583.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 38544, 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).
How does 38544 compare with the rest of Putnam County?
| Measure | 38544 | In Putnam County | In TN |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 8,175 | 5th of 11 | 237th of 636 |
| Median household income | $70k | 2nd of 6 | 160th of 425 |
| Median home value | $245k | 3rd of 5 | 196th of 436 |
Its median household income is higher than in 46% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 54% 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 38544?
The 2020 Census counted 7,435 people in 38544; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 8,175. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 13.6% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 8,175±840 (90% margin)
- 2020 Census count
- 7,435+13.6% since 2010 (6,543)
- Households
- 3,078
- Median age
- 40.9
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 38544?
Of the 8,175 people the ACS estimates in 38544, 26.5% are under 18 and 16.4% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (85.9%), then Hispanic or Latino (10.4%).
- Under 1826.5%
- 18 to 6457.1%
- 65 and older16.4%
- White, not Hispanic85.9%
- Hispanic or Latino10.4%
- Other or two or more2.9%
- Black, not Hispanic0.5%
- Asian, not Hispanic0.3%
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 38544 earn?
Median household income is $69,823 (ACS 2020-2024), the 2nd highest of the 6 ranked ZIP codes in Putnam County. It rose from $51,743 in 2015-2019 (in 2024 dollars), a change larger than the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $69,823
- Income per person
- $31,331
- Below the poverty line
- 17.2%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 6.7%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 18.6%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $62,4753,510 returns; wages 73% 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 38544?
FHFA's house price index for 38544, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 105% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 56% from 2020 to 2025, and moved −9.4% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $245,100
- Median gross rent
- $955
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 78.8%
- Housing units
- 3,558
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 38544?
92 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 19 more than in 2018; the most are in retail trade (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Retail trade18
- Other services (except public administration)12
- Construction11
- Health care and social assistance10
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services8
- Manufacturing6
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 38544?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38582 | Silver Point | 1,729 | $93k | 6.3 mi |
| 38545 | Bloomington Springs | 1,575 | $60k | 8.4 mi |
| 38548 | Buffalo Valley | 1,154 | – | 9.0 mi |
| 38501 | Cookeville | 42,471 | $52k | 10.4 mi |
| 38564 | Granville | 501 | $89k | 11.6 mi |
| 38506 | Cookeville | 30,100 | $70k | 13.3 mi |
| 37166 | Smithville | 15,731 | $53k | 15.2 mi |
| 38583 | Sparta | 25,584 | $55k | 16.5 mi |
| 38503 | Cookeville | 0 | – | 9.0 mi (near) |
| 38505 | Cookeville | 960 | – | 9.3 mi (near) |
| 38569 | Lancaster | 390 | – | 11.6 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.