How many people live in Rhea County, TN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 34,800 people living in Rhea County, TN. That makes Rhea County the 45th-most populous county in Tennessee. It is home to 0.48% of people living in the state.
34.8K
population of Rhea County, TN (2024)
0.48%
County share of the Tennessee population (2024)
About 34,800 people lived in Rhea County, TN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Rhea County, TN’s age demographics?
About 7,000 Rhea County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.7% of Tennessee’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 7,400 Rhea County residents, or 21.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22% of Tennessee’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Rhea County, TN's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Rhea County, TN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 88.2% of the Rhea County, TN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Rhea County’s Hispanic population accounts for 6.7%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 2% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Rhea County, TN has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Tennessee as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Rhea County, TN is Dayton with about 7,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Rhea County, TN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dayton | 7,796 |
| 2. | Spring City | 1,996 |
| 3. | Graysville | 1,508 |
| 4. | Balance of Rhea County | 23,459 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
