Putnam County Demographics

A map of Putnam County's Population by Race

Putnam County, Tennessee has an estimated population of 82,558, an increase from the 79,854 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 85.0% White, 8.4% Hispanic, 2.8% Multiracial, 2.4% Black, 1.1% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Putnam County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Putnam has become less racially diverse since 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 Putnam County, that probability was 29.2% in 2020 and 26.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Putnam County is ranked the 17th most populous county in Tennessee, out of 95 counties. Putnam County was ranked the 17th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Putnam County's White Population

70,197 residents of Putnam County, or 85.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Putnam County is considerably higher than in Tennessee overall, where 71% of the population is White. Putnam County ranks 64th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's White population has grown by an estimated 5.1%. White residents' share of Putnam County's population has increased from 83.6% to 85.0%.

Putnam County is less White than neighboring White County (91.9% White), Jackson County (92.2% White), Overton County (94.2% White), DeKalb County (87% White), and Clay County (93.8% White).

Putnam County's Black Population

1,963 residents of Putnam County, or 2.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Putnam County is considerably lower than in Tennessee overall, where 15.4% of the population is Black. Putnam County ranks 49th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Black population has declined by an estimated 9.2%. Black residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.4%.

Putnam County is more Black than neighboring White County (1% Black), Jackson County (0.4% Black), Overton County (1.4% Black), and DeKalb County (1.5% Black). Putnam County is less Black than neighboring Clay County (3.3% Black).

Putnam County's Asian Population

947 residents of Putnam County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Putnam County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 1.9% of the population is Asian. Putnam County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 12.8%. Asian residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Putnam County is more Asian than neighboring White County (0.4% Asian), Jackson County (0% Asian), Overton County (0.2% Asian), and Clay County (0.5% Asian).

Putnam County's Hispanic Population

6,928 residents of Putnam County, or 8.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Putnam County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Putnam County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Putnam County's population has increased from 7.8% to 8.4%.

Putnam County is more Hispanic than neighboring White County (3.2% Hispanic), Jackson County (2.8% Hispanic), Overton County (2.2% Hispanic), DeKalb County (7.7% Hispanic), and Clay County (0.2% Hispanic).

Putnam County's Native American/Other Population

206 residents of Putnam County, 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 Putnam County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Putnam County ranks 69th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 44.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Putnam County is less Native American/Other than neighboring White County (0.5% Native American/Other), Overton County (0.3% Native American/Other), DeKalb County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Clay County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Putnam County's Multiracial Population

2,317 residents of Putnam County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Putnam County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Putnam County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 27.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Putnam County's population has decreased from 4.0% to 2.8%.

Putnam County is more Multiracial than neighboring Overton County (1.7% Multiracial), DeKalb County (2.3% Multiracial), and Clay County (1.8% Multiracial). Putnam County is less Multiracial than neighboring White County (3% Multiracial), and Jackson County (4.3% 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.