1st Advantage MortgageFranklin County households have a median income of $63,494 and median rent of $894 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Franklin County, TN: the basics
- Income in Franklin County compared with Tennessee
- How Franklin County residents earn a living
- Rent, home values and ownership in Franklin County
- Regional comparison for Franklin County
- The communities that make up Franklin County
- Room for a loan payment in Franklin County
- Who lives in Franklin County, in numbers
- Reading the Franklin County data as a borrower
- Checking a lender's license in Tennessee
- Steps before you apply in Franklin County
- More guides for Franklin County
- Frequently asked questions
Franklin County, TN: the basics
With an estimated 43,990 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Franklin County ranks 36th of 95 in Tennessee for population. Packed into 551 square miles, that is close to 80 residents for every square mile of land. No metropolitan area includes Franklin County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. Winchester is the biggest of its 8 Census places, at roughly 9,799 people (22% of the county total).
Income in Franklin County compared with Tennessee
At $63,494, the typical Franklin County household income is 3% below the median U.S. county ($65,681).
| Income band | Share in Franklin County | Difference from Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 25.2% | +1.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 46.3% | +3.9 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 22.9% | -1.6 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 5.5% | -3.4 pts |
Some 25% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 28% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 12.0%, 2 points lower than the state's 13.8%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.433 (0 is perfect equality). For a borrower in Franklin County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
How Franklin County residents earn a living
Education and health care employs 22% of working residents, the largest share; manufacturing is next with 20%. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 20% locally and 13% for Tennessee. The survey's unemployment rate for Franklin County averages 2.8% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 4.7%). 15% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 8% work from home.
| Sector | Franklin County | Compared with Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.9% | -0.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 20.3% | +7.8 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.0% | -0.5 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.2% | -2.5 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.1% | -0.8 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 6.1% | 0.0 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Franklin County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Rent, home values and ownership in Franklin County
Renters in Franklin County pay a median of $894 a month, 25% below the Tennessee figure of $1,189. By the Census definition, 40% of Franklin County renters are cost-burdened. With a median value of $236,900, a typical Franklin County house costs 3.7 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 77% of homes. Median construction year: 1985.
| Housing | Franklin County | Tennessee statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $894/mo | $1,189/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $236,900 | $286,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 77% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 40% | 49% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 27% | 25% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 8.1% | 8.1% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 13% | 10% | n/a |
Because most Franklin County households own, home repairs are a frequent reason to borrow. An unsecured personal loan leaves the house out of the deal, while a HELOC uses it as collateral.
Regional comparison for Franklin County
Distances run center to center, from Moore County at 17 miles out to Lincoln County at 28. 2 of the six report a higher median household income than Franklin County; Moore County is highest at $66,469 and Grundy County lowest at $47,593. The list crosses into Alabama, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | - | $63,494 | $894/mo | 77% |
| Moore County, TN | 17 mi | $66,469 | $841/mo | 83% |
| Coffee County, TN | 23 mi | $61,505 | $913/mo | 69% |
| Grundy County, TN | 27 mi | $47,593 | $636/mo | 84% |
| Marion County, TN | 28 mi | $61,824 | $853/mo | 79% |
| Jackson County, AL | 28 mi | $51,908 | $780/mo | 75% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 28 mi | $64,667 | $857/mo | 76% |
The communities that make up Franklin County
Here are the 8 most populous of the county's 8 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 50% of Franklin County residents live in one of the 8. Sewanee has the highest median household income on the list ($136,111) and Decherd the lowest ($37,575), counting places with at least 500 residents. None of the 8 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | city | 9,799 | $62,782 | $974 | 2 mi |
| Decherd | city | 2,976 | $37,575 | $871 | 4 mi |
| Sewanee | CDP | 2,936 | $136,111 | $1,173 | 10 mi |
| Estill Springs | town | 2,695 | $59,205 | $825 | 7 mi |
| Cowan | city | 1,934 | $46,406 | $787 | 5 mi |
| Huntland | town | 1,532 | $66,308 | $1,015 | 12 mi |
| Belvidere | CDP | 82 | n/a | n/a | 5 mi |
| Sherwood | CDP | 43 | n/a | n/a | 11 mi |
CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.
Room for a loan payment in Franklin County
Franklin County at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- $5,291 a month: gross income for a household at the Franklin County median
- Median rent: $894, or 17 cents of every gross dollar
- 35% debt-to-income limit: $958 left for all other debt payments
- Under a 45% cap, $2,381 total minus rent leaves $1,487
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Who lives in Franklin County, in numbers
24% of Franklin County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. About 8% go without health insurance.
| Measure | Franklin County | Tennessee statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 | 38.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 23.9% | 31.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.2% | 10.0% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 7.8% | 10.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.1% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 12.9% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 2.8% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Franklin County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 31.2% |
| 15 to 29 min | 33.7% |
| 30 to 44 min | 20.4% |
| 45 to 59 min | 6.4% |
| 60+ min | 8.3% |
Reading the Franklin County data as a borrower
Based on the Franklin County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Franklin County borrower sees (free reports).
- Paperwork. ID, proof of income and a bank account are the basics (requirements).
- Combining balances. It helps when total cost falls and the cards stay paid down (consolidation).
Checking a lender's license in Tennessee
Before sharing details with a lender, a Franklin County resident can confirm its license with the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. See the Tennessee state guide for the statewide picture.
Steps before you apply in Franklin County
Steps that save money for Franklin County residents:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Verify the Tennessee license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Ask a Franklin County credit union about member loans.
More guides for Franklin County
For statewide rules and data, see the Tennessee guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Franklin County earn?
The median is $63,494; 28% earn $100,000 or more and 25% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
What do renters pay in Franklin County?
$894 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
I own my home in Franklin County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 77% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
I live in a small Franklin County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Winchester, Decherd, Sewanee, Estill Springs, Cowan and 3 more.
Does my county matter to the questionnaire?
Only your state does. Whether you live in Franklin County or elsewhere in Tennessee, the same rules apply.