Carter County

Carter County, Tennessee

At a Glance

Population	56,356
County Seat	Carter County Courthouse
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	019
Num Towns	11
Census-Designated Places	8
Total Town Population	99,469
Census Source	Census ACS 5-Year 2022

People & Demographics

Population (official)	56,315
Median Age	46.0
Veterans	3,944
Housing Units	27,881
Uninsured	734
Net Migration (recent)	2,473
Growing	Yes

Economy & Employment

Total Establishments	742
Total Employees	8,912
Avg Annual Pay	$47,576
Median Household Income	$47,994
Poverty Rate	18.1%
Unemployment Rate	7.2%
Avg AGI per Return (IRS)	$55,024
Federal Spending FY2024	$405,122,298
Federal Spending Per Capita	$7,189

Housing & Cost of Living

Median Home Value	$145,000
Median Rent	$727
FMR Studio	$890
FMR 1BR	$895
FMR 2BR	$1,119
FMR 3BR	$1,389
FMR 4BR	$1,562

Health & Safety

Hospitals	11
EMS Stations	33
Fire Stations	33
Police Stations	33
Adult Smoking	23.5%
Adult Obesity	38.4%
Overdose Deaths Rate/100k	45.4
Air Quality Good Days	N/A

Infrastructure

Electricity Price (¢/kWh)	12.42
Electric Customers	3166103
Towns with Broadband Data	11
Towns with 90%+ Coverage	11

Community

Churches	122
Libraries	11
Historic Places (NRHP)	13
Homeless Population	N/A
Schools	158
SNAP Stores	155
Bank Branches	43

Agriculture

Total Farms	2
Land in Farms (acres)	28,788
Avg Farm Size (acres)	14,394.0
Year	2,022

Recent Federal Disaster Declarations (15)

Type	Title	Date
DR	SEVERE WINTER STORM	2026-02-06
EM	SEVERE WINTER STORM	2026-01-24
EM	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING	2025-04-02
DR	TROPICAL STORM HELENE	2024-10-02
EM	TROPICAL STORM HELENE	2024-09-27
DR	COVID-19 PANDEMIC	2020-04-02
EM	COVID-19	2020-03-13
DR	SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES	2019-04-17
EM	HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION	2005-09-05
DR	SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING	2004-10-07

Detailed Topics

Communities in Carter County

Johnson City — pop 71,046
Elizabethton — pop 14,546
Pine Crest — pop 2,439
Central — pop 2,114
Hampton — pop 2,030
Valley Forge — pop 1,926
Biltmore — pop 1,837
Hunter — pop 1,803
Roan Mountain — pop 1,078
Watauga — pop 353
Butler — pop 297

Data sources: Census ACS, BLS QCEW, IRS SOI, USAspending.gov, County Health Rankings, EPA AQI, HUD FMR, NCES, FEMA, National Register of Historic Places, CDC, EIA.