County outline
Where Overton County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.7% of Overton County’s measured area and water for 0.3%. Its combined area converts to 1,126.2 square kilometers or approximately 278,294 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 433.488 | 1,122.729 | 277,432.3 |
| Water | 1.346 | 3.486 | 861.4 |
| Total | 434.834 | 1,126.215 | 278,293.8 |
How Overton County compares
By original Census land area, Overton County ranks #51 of 95 in Tennessee and #2342 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.994 times the Tennessee county-equivalent median of 436.1 square miles. It accounts for 1.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Tennessee ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Overton County
The Census Bureau estimates that 23,787 people lived in Overton County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,706 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #62 of 95 in Tennessee. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 22,510, the population has grown by 1,277 (+5.7%), compared with +5.8% for Tennessee as a whole.
With 433.5 square miles of land, that is 55 people per square mile (21 per km²), placing Overton County #1,462 nationally for density and #64 in Tennessee. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Tennessee median is 76. Put another way, there are about 12 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 22,590 | 22,828 | 22,974 | 23,352 | 23,582 | 23,787 |
| Change | — | +238 | +146 | +378 | +230 | +205 |
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 Overton County
1 incorporated place lies at least partly in Overton County. Together they are home to 4,147 people (17.4%); the other 19,640 (82.6%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Livingston town, with 4,147 residents in the county.
Metropolitan area
Overton County is an outlying county of the Cookeville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 4 county equivalents have 152,477 residents on 1,520.1 square miles of land; Overton County accounts for 28.5% of the land and 15.6% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #107 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #6 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 86,612 | 401.1 |
| White County | 29,612 | 376.7 |
| Overton County | 23,787 | 433.5 |
| Jackson County | 12,466 | 308.8 |
ZIP codes
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Overton County; 8 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
385013850638541385423854338554385683857038573385743858038589
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Overton County
Overton County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Fentress County (498.6 mi²) and the smallest is Pickett County (163 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Overton County forms a block of 2,041.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 21.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Overton | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fentress County | 498.6 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Putnam County | 401.1 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Jackson County | 308.8 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Clay County | 236.5 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
| Pickett County | 163 | 2.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Overton County compared with U.S. states?
Overton County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.4 times as much. Tennessee’s county land could hold about 95 areas the size of Overton County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.8 miles (33.5 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 Overton County?
Overton County has more land than 880 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 Overton County at #2,418 nationally by total area, 76 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 0.3%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.9 percentage points lower. 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 Overton County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2341 | Pulaski County, Indiana | 433.7 | Compare |
| #2342 | Overton County, Tennessee | 433.5 | This county |
| #2343 | Sherburne County, Minnesota | 432.9 | 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 36.344850, -85.283076. 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: 1,122,727,661 m²; AWATER: 3,486,591 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 Overton County?
Overton County, Tennessee has 433.5 square miles (1,122.7 km²) of land and 1.346 square miles of water, for a total area of 434.8 square miles. It ranks #2342 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Overton County the largest county in Tennessee?
No. Overton County ranks #51 of 95 in Tennessee by land area. The largest is Shelby County, with 752.8 square miles of land.
What counties border Overton County?
Overton County shares a land border with Putnam County, Fentress County, Clay County, Pickett County, and Jackson County.
What is the population of Overton County?
The Census Bureau estimates Overton County had 23,787 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,706 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 55 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Overton County?
The county seat of Overton County is Livingston.
Is Overton County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Cookeville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has 4 county equivalents and 152,477 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Overton County?
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Overton County, and 8 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Overton County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Overton County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 277,432 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 278,294 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.