ZIP Code 38224 — Cottage Grove, TN

About ZIP 38224

ZIP code 38224 serves Cottage Grove in Henry, Tennessee. It centers near 36.3479°, -88.4614° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 860 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $55,714 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $146,300, and asking rents on the open market sit around $617 per month. Compared to the rest of Tennessee, that makes 38224 in line with the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $45,834 and a median home value of $153,527.

The median resident is around 47.7 years old, and roughly 10.2% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 2.4% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 38224, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $146,300 and a typical rental runs $617 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

• At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $779 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at $617/mo costs roughly $7,404 per year, or about 13.3% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap ($7,227 versus the state average of $153,527) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 47.7 and a population of 860, ZIP 38224 reads as a more mature, established neighborhood with fewer young children. The bachelor's-degree share around 10.2% is on the lower end, often reflecting trade-economy or rural labor markets.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 36.3479, -88.4614. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 923 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.

Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 920 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 139 (15.1%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.

Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)

Among the 331 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:

Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 379 housing units counted here (table B25002), 311 (82.1%) were occupied and 68 (17.9%) were vacant.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Cottage Grove or browse the rest of Tennessee.