Jamie Stitt
Assistant Commissioner, Business and Workforce Development
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., Nashville, TN 37243Common Search Terms
Carter County
County Profile ToolCarter County
Population & Demographics
Location
Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
Grand Division
East Tennessee
Area (Square Miles)
341.3
County Seat
Elizabethton
Metropolitan Area
Johnson City, TN
ECD Region
Northeast
Population
Population
(2020)
56,356
Population
(2022)
56,315
Population Change
(2020 - 2022)
-0.1%
Population Forecast
(2040)
51,141
Foreign Born Population
1,164
Foreign Born Persons (Percentage of Population)
2.10%
Language Other Than English Spoken At Home
2.90%
Civilian Veteran Population
3,944
Race (Percentage of Population)
White Alone
94.30%
Black or African American, alone
2.20%
American Indian And Alaska Native, alone
0.20%
Asian, alone
0.50%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, alone
0.00%
Some Other Race, alone
0.50%
Two or More Races
2.30%
Hispanic or Latino
2.70%
Age (Percentage of Population)
Male
Female
Total
Under 5 Years Old
Male: 4.40%
Female: 0.042
Total: 4.30%
Under 18 Years Old
Male: 18.70%
Female: 17.40%
Total: 18.00%
18-64 Years Old
Male: 60.80%
Female: 58.90%
Total: 59.90%
65 Years and Over
Male: 20.50%
Female: 23.70%
Total: 22.10%
Median Age
Male: 46
Female: 45.2
Total: 47.3
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 5-Year American Community Survey
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Tennessee State Data Center (2024)
Housing & Income
Housing & Income
Households
23,940
Homeownership Rate
73.3%
Persons Per Household
2.29
Living In Same House 1 Year & Over
89.9%
Median Home Value
$145,000
Annual Home Sales
555
Median Sale Price of Homes Sold
$216,300
Persons In Households With Income Below Poverty Level
18.1%
Total Personal Income
$2.2B
Personal Income Per Capita
$40,378
County Median Wage
$17.68
Household Income & Benefits
Percent of Household
Less Than $10,000
5.9%
$10,000 to $14,999
6.8%
$15,000 to $24,999
13.5%
$25,000 to $34,999
11.5%
$35,000 to $49,999
13.9%
$50,000 to $74,999
19.5%
$75,000 to $99,999
10.4%
$100,000 to $149,999
12.8%
$150,000 to $199,999
3.3%
$200,000 or More
2.4%
Median Household Income
$47,994
Percentage of Households by Income Range
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 5-Year American Community Survey
Tennessee Housing Development Agency (2023)
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2023)
Lightcast (2023)
Tax Structure
Property Tax
Property Tax Rate (County)
$2.1800
State Property Tax
None
Assessment Ratio: Residential Property
25%
Assessment Ratio: Farm Property
25%
Assessment Ratio: Commercial/Industrial Property
40%
Assessment Ratio: Public Utility Property
55%
Assessment Ratio: Business Personal Property
30%
State Tax
State Income Tax on Wages
None
State Income Tax: Interest from Bonds and Notes and Dividends from Stock
None (Hall Income tax was fully repealed January 1, 2021)
Excise Tax (State)
6.5% of Tennessee taxable income
Franchise Tax (state)
0.25% of the greater of net worth or real and tangible property in Tennessee. The minimum tax is $100.
Unemployment Insurance Tax (state)
2.7% of the first $7,000 in wages for new employers
Sales Tax
State Sales Tax Rate
7.0%
County Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
Local Sales Tax Collections
(FY 2023)
$20,692,306
Local Sales Tax Collections
(FY 2024)
$20,469,200
Local Sales Tax Collections Growth
(FY 2023 - FY 2024)
1.09%
State Bond Ratings
Moody's
Aaa
Standard & Poor's
AAA
Fitch
AAA
Debt per Capita
State Debt per Capita
$988
County Debt Per Capita
$232
Sources:
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2024)
Tennessee Department of Revenue (2024)
The Tax Foundation (2024)
Labor Force
Labor Force Estimates (2024)
Tennessee
Carter
Labor Force
Tennessee: 3,420,373
Carter: 23,427
Employment
Tennessee: 3,303,023
Carter: 22,496
Unemployment
Tennessee: 117,350
Carter: 931
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee: 3.40%
Carter: 4.00%
Unemployment Rate*
Tennessee
Carter
2019
Tennessee: 4.50%
Carter: 4.50%
2020
Tennessee: 3.40%
Carter: 3.80%
2021
Tennessee: 3.20%
Carter: 3.70%
2022
Tennessee: 3.40%
Carter: 4.00%
Unemployment Rate (by percentage)
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Industries
Industry
Employment
Establishments
Avg. Annual Wages
Crop and Animal Production
Employment: 12
Establishments: 2
Avg. Annual Wages: $27,967
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Employment: 22
Establishments: 2
Avg. Annual Wages: $76,192
Utilities
Employment: 20
Establishments: 3
Employment: $45,222
Construction
Employment: 928
Establishments: 88
Employment: $82,436
Manufacturing
Employment: 1,785
Establishments: 37
Employment: $56,463
Wholesale Trade
Employment: 171
Establishments: 38
Employment: $71,556
Retail Trade
Employment: 1,874
Establishments: 144
Employment: $29,602
Transportation and Warehousing
Employment: 160
Establishments: 17
Employment: $60,892
Information
Employment: 34
Establishments: 16
Employment: $53,243
Finance and Insurance
Employment: 302
Establishments: 63
Employment: $75,668
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Employment: 78
Establishments: 29
Employment: $40,844
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Employment: 181
Establishments: 84
Employment: $66,651
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Employment: 34
Establishments: 2
Employment: $328,896
Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation
Employment: 211
Establishments: 44
Employment: $39,797
Educational Services
Employment: 281
Establishments: 6
Employment: $50,769
Health Care and Social Assistance
Employment: 1,937
Establishments: 125
Employment: $48,819
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Employment: 184
Establishments: 19
Employment: $31,218
Accommodation and Food Services
Employment: 1,443
Establishments: 87
Employment: $19,579
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Employment: 353
Establishments: 61
Employment: $48,465
Government
Employment: 2,343
Establishments: 39
Employment: $46,634
Unclassified
Employment: 11
Establishments: 2
Employment: $0
Total
Employment: 12,364
Establishments: 908
Employment: $47,499
Unique Occupations*
Employment
Location Quotient*
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment: 30
Location Quotient*: 38.17
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Employment: 41
Location Quotient*: 34.37
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment: 7
Location Quotient*: 15.11
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Employment: 25
Location Quotient*: 14.48
Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other
Employment: 10
Location Quotient*: 14.09
Key Cluster
Total Employment
Advanced Materials
0
Aerospace & Defense
0
Appliances & Electrical
0
Automotive
125
Business Services
125
Chemicals
62
Distribution & Logistics
842
Film, Music & Entertainment
0
Food & Beverage
84
Healthcare & Medical Devices
43
Top Employers
Top County Employers
Estimated Employees
City
Carter County School District
Est. Employees: 870
City: Elizabethton
Elizabethon City Schools
Est. Employees: 500
City: Elizabethton
Snap-On, Inc.
Est. Employees: 427
City: Elizabethton
Walmart
Est. Employees: 400
City: Elizabethton
Milligan College, Inc.
Est. Employees: 322
City: Milligan College
Borla Performance Industries
Est. Employees: 311
City: Johnson City
A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing
Est. Employees: 284
City: Elizabethton
Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Inc.
Est. Employees: 269
City: Elizabethton
City of Elizabethton
Est. Employees: 250
City: Elizabethton
Carter County Government
Est. Employees: 233
City: Elizabethton
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation
Nearest Commercial Service Airport
Tri-Cities Regional
Distance to Nearest Commercial Service Airport
25
Daily Flights At Nearest Commercial Service Airport
14
Nearest General Aviation Airport
Elizabethton Municipal
Runway Length at Nearest General Aviation Airport
5,001'
Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes)
23.9
Access of Interstate
I-26
U.S. Highways
19, 321
State Highways
37, 67, 91, 143, 159, 173, 359, 361, 362, 400
Nearest Port (From County Seat)
Knoxville
Railroads Serving County
CSX, East TN Railway Corporation, NS
Sources:
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration, Aeronautical Data (2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022 5-Year American Community Survey
Education
General Stats
Carter
Tennessee
Population Aged 25-64 With High School Degree Or Higher
Carter: 88.7%
Tennessee: 91.5%
Population Aged 25-64 With Associate's Degree Or Higher
Carter: 28.8%
Tennessee: 41.2%
Population Aged 25-64 With Bachelor's Degree Or Higher
Carter: 20.9%
Tennessee: 32.8%
High School Graduation Rate
Carter: 89.0%
Tennessee: 90.6%
College Going Rate
Carter: 52.8%
Tennessee: 56.7%
Average ACT Score
Carter: 18
Tennessee: 19.0
High School Graduation Rate
College Going Rate
Average ACT Score
Carter County Schools
Enrollment
Elementary Schools
Enrollment: 1,958
Middle Schools
Enrollment: 1,052
High Schools
Enrollment: 1,461
Elizabethton
Enrollment
Elemetary Schools
Enrollment: 1,137
Middle Schools
Enrollment: 633
High Schools
Enrollment: 863
Regional Higher Education Institutions
City
Enrollment
Milligan College
City: Milligan College
Enrollment: 1,105
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton
City: Elizabethton
Enrollment: 495
East Tennessee State University
City: Johnson City
Enrollment: 13,483
Northeast State Community College
City: Blountville
Enrollment: 5,100
King University
City: Bristol
Enrollment: 1,357
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 1-Year American Community Survey,
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 5-Year American Community Survey
Tennessee Department of Education (2022-2023)
National Center for Education Statistics
Tennessee Board of Regents and Tennessee Higher Education Commission
† Regional higher education institutions include those within the selected and surrounding counties.
Due to data availability, federal graduation rates were used for Clay, Fentress, and Haywood counties.
Health & Public Safety
Doctors
Number of Doctors
67
Overweight & Obesity Prevalence
Adults*
31.2
Children** (Grade 8)
43.6
Regional Hospitals
Number of Beds
City
Sycamore Shoals Hospital
Number of Beds: 121
City: Elizabethton
Sources:
American Medical Association (2023)
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Tennessee Department of Health
† Regional hospitals include those within the selected and surrounding counties.
Climate
Climate
Average High Temperature
66.1°F
Average Low Temperature
43.5°F
Average Annual Temperature
54.8°F
Annual Rainfall
53.11"
Elevation (at County Seat)
1,530'
Prevailing Winds
West
Sources:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2023)
Community Information
Elizabethton
Population (2022)
14,546
Charter Type
General Law Modified Manager-Council
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$1.65
Phone Number
(423) 547-6200
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
No
Main Street Participant
Yes
Johnson City
Population (2022)
71,046
Charter Type
Home Rule
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$1.88
Phone Number
(423) 434-6000
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
No
Main Street Participant
Yes
Watauga
Population (2019)
353
Charter Type
General Law Manager-Commission
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$0.57
Phone Number
(423) 928-3490
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
No
Main Street Participant
No
Additional Community Information
ThreeStar Certified County
Yes
Sources:
Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service
Tennessee Department of Revenue (2015)
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2015)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 5-Year American Community Survey