The Town Files

Bedford County, Tennessee

52,237 people. The median home is worth $281,200 (typical Tennessee town: $204,650) and the median household earns $67,225.

Towns in Bedford County

Towns in Bedford County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Shelbyville23,557$244,000$55,07331.8
Unionville1,394$280,500$70,54144.1
Wartrace653$206,800$50,41732.4

People and housing

Bedford CountyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value$281,200$204,650
Median rent$1,051$863
Median household income$67,225$57,917
Median age37.640.8
Bachelor's degree or higher17.2%18.2%
Below the poverty line12.6%14.2%

Jobs and pay

18,134 jobs in 2024, average pay $53,753 a year.

Largest industries in Bedford CountyManufacturing4,660 jobs · $57,772Retail1,951 jobs · $37,623Transportation & warehousing1,837 jobs · $64,405Construction1,253 jobs · $84,463Health care & social assistan…1,237 jobs · $51,286Hotels & restaurants1,182 jobs · $20,490
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Bedford County0%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023 3.3%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 441 storm events in Bedford County from 1996 to 2026, with 1 deaths.

Storm events in Bedford County by type since 1996Hail65Flood14Drought38Tornado17High Wind4Heavy Snow9Flash Flood36Funnel Cloud8Winter Storm14Excessive Heat4
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Bedford County has been included in 18 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4898: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3635: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2025Severe StormEM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 21, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4594: Severe Winter Storms
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4514: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3473: Covid-19
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).