McDonaldTN
A town settled in 1860, now home to 712 people.
Is McDonald a good place to live?
Of the 178 Tennessee towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than McDonald. McDonald has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
712 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Lookout Mountain and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McDonald. Close and well known come first.
29 mi MountainLookout Mountain
21 mi WaterfallRuby Falls37 mi CaveEllison's Cave
13 mi MuseumTennessee Valley Railroad Museum17 mi Theme parkLake Winnepesaukah
19 mi Zoo & aquariumTennessee AquariumPhoto credits
Lookout Mountain: Teke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: TVSRR at English Wikipedia. Photo by Jason Trew /TVSRR, Public domain · Tennessee Aquarium: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Moving to McDonald: who provides what
McDonald is unincorporated, so Bradley County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in McDonald.
More middle-aged adults than Tennessee overall
McDonald’s age of the median resident stands at 51 years, above both the Tennessee town median (40 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Adults 35 to 64 are 69% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 6% of residents (22% statewide). College graduates make up nearly a quarter of adults 25 and older, against 31% across Tennessee.
| McDonald | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51 years | 40 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 23% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Tennessee, 50.9% of residents are women.
| McDonald | TN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.2% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.6% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.9% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 20.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 31.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.8% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 10% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.4% | 31.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.7% | 19.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 11.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
McDonald has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
McDonald: 4.9% of residents live below the poverty line, where Tennessee’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Its median household income stands at $96,000. Half commute less than 10 miles. The top destinations are Cleveland (34%), Chattanooga (25%) and Nashville (4%).
| McDonald | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
McDonald’s typical home value is about $429K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.9%.
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The climate in McDonald brings mild winters and hot summers
The town’s July high stands at 89°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy McDonald is
In McDonald, 28% of adults have been diagnosed with depression, and 41% have obesity. On the CDC’s 31 measures, McDonald is ahead of Tennessee on 6 and behind on 2. Among adults locally, 43% have high blood pressure.
| McDonald | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 41% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 17% |
| What stands out | McDonald | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.4% | 9.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 13.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.9% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
McDonald has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
FEMA puts 47% of McDonald’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 20% to tornadoes. On expected storm and flood damage, McDonald sits below 58% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2020.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about McDonald
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of McDonald
About 6 of every 100 McDonald residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
100% of working residents leave McDonald for work
Where McDonald’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About McDonald
Census-designated place in Tennessee, United States
McDonald is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. McDonald is located along U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 64 6.8 miles (10.9 km) west-southwest of Cleveland. McDonald has a post office with ZIP code 37353. The United States Census Bureau treated the community as a CDP for the 2020 census and the population was 586.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 860 ft
- ZIP code
- 37353
Questions about McDonald
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McDonald, TN a good place to live?
McDonald has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.