Unicoi County, TN

County

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2024 Population

17,756

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

46.9

1.05% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.3%

0.708% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,218

3.65% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$189,600

12.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

7,787

2.38% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Unicoi County, TN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Unicoi County, TN are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Unicoi County, TN was $189,600, and the homeownership rate was 72.9%.

Most people in Unicoi County, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Unicoi County, TN was 2 cars per household.

Unicoi County, TN borders Madison County, NC, Mitchell County, NC, Yancey County, NC, Carter County, TN, Greene County, TN, and Washington County, TN.

United States Tennessee Johnson City, TN

Population & Diversity

Unicoi County, TN is home to a population of 17.8k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.48% of Unicoi County, TN residents were born outside of the country (263 people).

In 2024, there were 16.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16k people) in Unicoi County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 954 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 267 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Unicoi County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Unicoi County, TN was 99.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Unicoi County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Unicoi County, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
16k ± 99
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
954 ± 199
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
267 ± 95

6.69%

Hispanic Population

1.19k people

6.69% of the people in Unicoi County, TN are hispanic (1.19k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Unicoi County, TN as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
96,695 ± 7,581 people
Guatemala
27,777 ± 4,084 people
India
24,683 ± 3,850 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 96,695 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 27,777 and India with 24,683.

Foreign-Born Population

1.48%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

263 people

1.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

320 people

As of 2024, 1.48% of Unicoi County, TN residents (263 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Unicoi County, TN was 1.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Unicoi County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
583 ± 176
Gulf War (1990s)
196 ± 96
Gulf War (2001-)
191 ± 159

Unicoi County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.97 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Unicoi County, TN.

Economy

The economy of Unicoi County, TN employs 7.79k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Unicoi County, TN were Manufacturing (1,370 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,340 people), and Retail Trade (775 people), and the highest paying industries were Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($110,536), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,583), and Public Administration ($59,203).

Employment

Occupations

7.79k

2024 Value

± 758

2.38%

1 Year growth

± 13.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Unicoi County, TN grew at a rate of 2.38%, from 7.61k employees to 7.79k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Unicoi County, TN, are Production Occupations (894 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (792 people), and Management Occupations (780 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Unicoi County, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

7.79k

2024 Value

± 758

2.38%

1 Year growth

± 13.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Unicoi County, TN grew at a rate of 2.38%, from 7.61k employees to 7.79k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Unicoi County, TN, are Manufacturing (1,370 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,340 people), and Retail Trade (775 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Unicoi County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Unicoi County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,360

Median earning men ± $6,988

$32,448

Median earning women ± $8,142

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,284), Public Administration ($59,016), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,245).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,484), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,049), and Manufacturing ($41,689).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Tennessee.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

30
Other Services (except Public Administration)
12
Retail Trade
11
Accommodation and Food Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$92.7k
Manufacturing
$22k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$20.7k
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Unicoi County, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Tennessee for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Tennessee over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Unicoi County, TN was $189,600 in 2024, which is 0.57 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $168,200 to $189,600, a 12.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Unicoi County, TN is 72.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Unicoi County, TN have an average commute time of 25.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Unicoi County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.36% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Unicoi County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.0606%.

Housing

Property

$189,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,867

$5,682

Median Property Taxes

±$584

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Unicoi County, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Unicoi County, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

72.9%

Homeownership

2024

70.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.9% of the housing units in Unicoi County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Unicoi County, TN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,218

Median Household Income

± $6,675

7.8k

Number of Households

± 699

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.8k households in Unicoi County, TN grew to $52,218 from the previous year's value of $50,381.

The following chart displays the households in Unicoi County, TN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Unicoi County, TN is from Tennessee.

0.459

2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2023, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.619% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Tennessee across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (82.8%)
Carpooled (8.7%)
Worked At Home (6.01%)

In 2024, 82.8% of workers in Unicoi County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.7%) and those who worked at home (6.01%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Unicoi County, TN have a shorter commute time (25.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.32% of the workforce in Unicoi County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Unicoi County, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Unicoi County, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Unicoi County, TN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.36% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Unicoi County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.0606%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Unicoi County, TN (2.48k out of 17.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Unicoi County, TN is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22% of the children was living in poverty in Unicoi County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 251 in Unicoi County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 80.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.8% of the population of Unicoi County, TN has health coverage, with 37.5% on employee plans, 18.4% on Medicaid, 16.9% on Medicare, 17% on non-group plans, and 1.99% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Unicoi County, TN see 2,212 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,212 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2946 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 4439 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,212 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Unicoi County, TN

Primary care physicians in Unicoi County, TN see an average of 2,212 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,212 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Unicoi County, TN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.6% under 18 years, 17.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.21%

Uninsured

37.5%

Employer Coverage

18.4%

Medicaid

16.9%

Medicare

17%

Non-Group

1.99%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Unicoi County, TN declined by 9.12% from 9.03% to 8.21%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Unicoi County, TN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 76 in Unicoi County, TN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Unicoi County, TN.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 36.8% in Unicoi County, TN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Unicoi County, TN.