County outline
Where Humphreys County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 95.3% of Humphreys County’s measured area and water for 4.7%. Its combined area converts to 1,441.9 square kilometers or approximately 356,290 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 530.763 | 1,374.67 | 339,688.3 |
| Water | 25.94 | 67.184 | 16,601.6 |
| Total | 556.703 | 1,441.854 | 356,289.9 |
How Humphreys County compares
By original Census land area, Humphreys County ranks #31 of 95 in Tennessee and #1975 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.217 times the Tennessee county-equivalent median of 436.1 square miles. It accounts for 1.3% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Tennessee ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Humphreys County
The Census Bureau estimates that 19,646 people lived in Humphreys County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,906 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #69 of 95 in Tennessee. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 18,989, the population has grown by 657 (+3.5%), compared with +5.8% for Tennessee as a whole.
With 530.8 square miles of land, that is 37 people per square mile (14 per km²), placing Humphreys County #1,827 nationally for density and #86 in Tennessee. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Tennessee median is 76. Put another way, there are about 17 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 18,998 | 19,179 | 19,039 | 19,286 | 19,542 | 19,646 |
| Change | — | +181 | −140 | +247 | +256 | +104 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Humphreys County
3 incorporated places lie at least partly in Humphreys County. Together they are home to 8,069 people (41.1%); the other 11,577 (58.9%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Waverly city, with 4,430 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, McEwen city grew fastest since then (+8.5%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly cityCounty seat | 4,430 | +3% | 9.026 |
| New Johnsonville city | 1,849 | +2.5% | 5.145 |
| McEwen city | 1,790 | +8.5% | 1.843 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Humphreys County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Humphreys County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Humphreys County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
37078371013713437185
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Humphreys County
Humphreys County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Hickman County (612.5 mi²) and the smallest is Houston County (200.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Humphreys County forms a block of 2,642.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 20.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Humphreys | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickman County | 612.5 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Dickson County | 489.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Perry County | 414.8 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Benton County | 394.3 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Houston County | 200.3 | 2.6× smaller | Compare |
How big is Humphreys County compared with U.S. states?
Humphreys County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Tennessee’s county land could hold about 78 areas the size of Humphreys County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23 miles (37.1 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Humphreys County?
Humphreys County has more land than 1,247 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Humphreys County at #1,985 nationally by total area, 10 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 4.7%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 3.5 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Humphreys County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1974 | Shiawassee County, Michigan | 531.1 | Compare |
| #1975 | Humphreys County, Tennessee | 530.8 | This county |
| #1976 | San Augustine County, Texas | 530.7 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 36.040822, -87.790453. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,374,668,717 m²; AWATER: 67,184,110 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Humphreys County?
Humphreys County, Tennessee has 530.8 square miles (1,374.7 km²) of land and 25.9 square miles of water, for a total area of 556.7 square miles. It ranks #1975 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Humphreys County the largest county in Tennessee?
No. Humphreys County ranks #31 of 95 in Tennessee by land area. The largest is Shelby County, with 752.8 square miles of land.
What counties border Humphreys County?
Humphreys County shares a land border with Benton County, Houston County, Hickman County, Perry County, and Dickson County.
What is the population of Humphreys County?
The Census Bureau estimates Humphreys County had 19,646 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,906 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 37 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Humphreys County?
The county seat of Humphreys County is Waverly.
What cities and towns are in Humphreys County?
Humphreys County has 3 incorporated places. The most populous are Waverly city, New Johnsonville city, and McEwen city; 11,577 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Humphreys County part of a metropolitan area?
No. Humphreys County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in Humphreys County?
4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Humphreys County, and 4 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Humphreys County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Humphreys County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 339,688 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 356,290 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.