Spencer is a town in Van Buren County, Tennessee, home to about 1,511 people across 6.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 38585.
Homes sold for a median of $123 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Spencer. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Spencer’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)75 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)49 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Nashville-Davidson, TN82 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL439 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Spencer; 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.
Spencer had 1,462 residents in the 2020 census, down 15% since 2000.
It’s the 255th largest of 502 towns in Tennessee by population.
Van Buren County grew from 3,126 residents in 1900 to 6,168 in 2020.
Van Buren County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 25°F. About 59 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN weather station (7 miles away).
400 jobs at 44 businesses in Van Buren 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 Spencer.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 3 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 4 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Parks (1 nearby)
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 2 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 Van Buren County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer ElementarySpencer | Pre-K–5 | 372 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Van Buren Co High SchoolSpencer | 6–12 | 384 | Public | 2.7 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.