Baxter is a town in Putnam County, Tennessee, home to about 1,361 people across 3.1 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 38544.
Homes sold for a median of $205 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Baxter. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Baxter’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Nashville International Airport (BNA)58 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Nashville-Davidson, TN64 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL409 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Baxter; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Baxter had 1,578 residents in the 2020 census, up 23% since 2000.
It’s the 270th largest of 502 towns in Tennessee by population.
Putnam County grew from 16,890 residents in 1900 to 79,854 in 2020.
Putnam County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 27°F. About 60.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 6 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cookeville, TN weather station (8 miles away).
33,829 jobs at 1,988 businesses in Putnam County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
11 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Baxter.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 6 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Putnam County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter PrimaryBaxter | Pre-K–1 | 327 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Cornerstone ElementaryBaxter | 2–4 | 378 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Upperman Middle SchoolBaxter | 5–8 | 851 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Upperman High SchoolBaxter | 9–12 | 899 | Public | 3.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.