Cookeville, TN Demographics

A map of Cookeville's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	28,213	27,333	78.2%	78.4%
Hispanic	4,336	3,443	12.0%	9.9%
Multiracial	1,534	1,458	4.3%	4.2%
Black	1,226	1,671	3.4%	4.8%
Asian	695	793	1.9%	2.3%
Native American/Other	84	144	0.2%	0.4%

Cookeville, Tennessee has an estimated population of 36,088, an increase from the 34,842 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 78.2% White, 12.0% Hispanic, 4.3% Multiracial, 3.4% Black, 1.9% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cookeville, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cookeville is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Tennessee overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cookeville, that probability was 37.0% in 2020 and 37.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cookeville is ranked the 24th most populous place in Tennessee, out of 504 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Cookeville was ranked the 24th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Cookeville's White Population

28,213 residents of Cookeville, or 78.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cookeville is higher than in Tennessee overall, where 71% of the population is White. Cookeville ranks 391st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's White population has grown by an estimated 3.2%. White residents' share of Cookeville's population has remained roughly unchanged at 78.2%.

Cookeville is less White than neighboring Algood (82.7% White), Baxter (91% White), Dodson Branch (85.9% White), Sparta (88.3% White), and Monterey (83.1% White).

Cookeville's Black Population

1,226 residents of Cookeville, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cookeville is considerably lower than in Tennessee overall, where 15.4% of the population is Black. Cookeville ranks 157th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's Black population has declined by an estimated 26.6%. Black residents' share of Cookeville's population has decreased from 4.8% to 3.4%.

Cookeville is more Black than neighboring Algood (2.1% Black), Baxter (2.4% Black), Dodson Branch (0% Black), and Monterey (0.6% Black). Cookeville is less Black than neighboring Sparta (3.7% Black).

Cookeville's Asian Population

695 residents of Cookeville, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cookeville is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 1.9% of the population is Asian. Cookeville ranks 28th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's Asian population has declined by an estimated 12.4%. Asian residents' share of Cookeville's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.9%.

Cookeville is more Asian than neighboring Algood (0% Asian), Baxter (0.1% Asian), Dodson Branch (0% Asian), Sparta (0% Asian), and Monterey (0% Asian).

Cookeville's Hispanic Population

4,336 residents of Cookeville, or 12.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cookeville is slightly higher than in Tennessee overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Cookeville ranks 37th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 25.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Cookeville's population has increased from 9.9% to 12.0%.

Cookeville is more Hispanic than neighboring Baxter (2.2% Hispanic), and Sparta (4.7% Hispanic). Cookeville is less Hispanic than neighboring Algood (13.8% Hispanic), Dodson Branch (12.1% Hispanic), and Monterey (15.6% Hispanic).

Cookeville's Native American/Other Population

84 residents of Cookeville, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cookeville is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Cookeville ranks 315th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 41.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cookeville's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Cookeville is more Native American/Other than neighboring Algood (0% Native American/Other), Baxter (0% Native American/Other), Dodson Branch (0% Native American/Other), Sparta (0% Native American/Other), and Monterey (0% Native American/Other).

Cookeville's Multiracial Population

1,534 residents of Cookeville, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cookeville is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Cookeville ranks 187th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 504 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cookeville's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 5.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Cookeville's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.3%.

Cookeville is more Multiracial than neighboring Algood (1.3% Multiracial), Dodson Branch (2% Multiracial), Sparta (3.3% Multiracial), and Monterey (0.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.