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
Unicoi County
County Profile ToolUnicoi County
Population & Demographics
Location
Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
Grand Division
East Tennessee
Area (Square Miles)
186.1
County Seat
Erwin
Metropolitan Area
Johnson City, TN
ECD Region
Northeast
Population
Population
(2020)
17,928
Population
(2022)
17,845
Population Change
(2020 - 2022)
-0.5%
Population Forecast
(2040)
16,495
Foreign Born Population
489
Foreign Born Persons (Percentage of Population)
2.70%
Language Other Than English Spoken At Home
4.60%
Civilian Veteran Population
1,590
Race (Percentage of Population)
White Alone
94.10%
Black or African American, alone
0.30%
American Indian And Alaska Native, alone
0.40%
Asian, alone
0.20%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, alone
0.00%
Some Other Race, alone
1.80%
Two or More Races
3.30%
Hispanic or Latino
5.90%
Age (Percentage of Population)
Male
Female
Total
Under 5 Years Old
Male: 5.10%
Female: 0.039
Total: 4.50%
Under 18 Years Old
Male: 19.70%
Female: 16.70%
Total: 18.20%
18-64 Years Old
Male: 58.20%
Female: 58.50%
Total: 58.40%
65 Years and Over
Male: 22.10%
Female: 24.80%
Total: 23.40%
Median Age
Male: 47.4
Female: 46.2
Total: 48.2
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
7,654
Homeownership Rate
73.3%
Persons Per Household
2.26
Living In Same House 1 Year & Over
91.8%
Median Home Value
$150,600
Annual Home Sales
149
Median Sale Price of Homes Sold
$215,000
Persons In Households With Income Below Poverty Level
16.7%
Total Personal Income
$749.8M
Personal Income Per Capita
$42,425
County Median Wage
$18.61
Household Income & Benefits
Percent of Household
Less Than $10,000
8.6%
$10,000 to $14,999
5.1%
$15,000 to $24,999
13.1%
$25,000 to $34,999
10.7%
$35,000 to $49,999
12.6%
$50,000 to $74,999
17.8%
$75,000 to $99,999
11.7%
$100,000 to $149,999
13.4%
$150,000 to $199,999
3.7%
$200,000 or More
3.3%
Median Household Income
$49,855
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)
$2.6105
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)
$5,742,418
Local Sales Tax Collections
(FY 2024)
$5,649,596
Local Sales Tax Collections Growth
(FY 2023 - FY 2024)
1.64%
State Bond Ratings
Moody's
Aaa
Standard & Poor's
AAA
Fitch
AAA
Debt per Capita
State Debt per Capita
$988
County Debt Per Capita
$854
Sources:
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2024)
Tennessee Department of Revenue (2024)
The Tax Foundation (2024)
Labor Force
Labor Force Estimates (2023)
Tennessee
Unicoi
Labor Force
Tennessee: 3,379,605
Unicoi: 7,070
Employment
Tennessee: 3,267,935
Unicoi: 6,773
Unemployment
Tennessee: 111,670
Unicoi: 297
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee: 3.30%
Unicoi: 4.20%
Unemployment Rate*
Tennessee
Unicoi
2019
Tennessee: 7.40%
Unicoi: 7.90%
2020
Tennessee: 4.50%
Unicoi: 5.10%
2021
Tennessee: 3.40%
Unicoi: 4.30%
2022
Tennessee: 3.30%
Unicoi: 4.20%
Unemployment Rate (by percentage)
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Industries
Industry
Employment
Establishments
Avg. Annual Wages
Crop and Animal Production
Employment: 11
Establishments: 2
Avg. Annual Wages: $28,327
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Employment: 42
Establishments: 1
Avg. Annual Wages: $64,183
Construction
Employment: 115
Establishments: 18
Employment: $57,670
Manufacturing
Employment: 1,575
Establishments: 23
Employment: $76,243
Wholesale Trade
Employment: 54
Establishments: 10
Employment: $74,761
Retail Trade
Employment: 611
Establishments: 41
Employment: $28,479
Transportation and Warehousing
Employment: 41
Establishments: 6
Employment: $54,800
Information
Employment: 15
Establishments: 6
Employment: $54,044
Finance and Insurance
Employment: 65
Establishments: 17
Employment: $49,594
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Employment: 31
Establishments: 8
Employment: $33,070
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Employment: 62
Establishments: 22
Employment: $143,426
Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation
Employment: 308
Establishments: 12
Employment: $55,477
Educational Services
Employment: 45
Establishments: 2
Employment: $58,851
Health Care and Social Assistance
Employment: 548
Establishments: 39
Employment: $35,519
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Employment: 44
Establishments: 3
Employment: $13,111
Accommodation and Food Services
Employment: 438
Establishments: 37
Employment: $16,347
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Employment: 79
Establishments: 21
Employment: $26,595
Government
Employment: 900
Establishments: 26
Employment: $41,609
Total
Employment: 4,999
Establishments: 298
Employment: $51,049
Unique Occupations*
Employment
Location Quotient*
Tire Builders
Employment: 83
Location Quotient*: 135.72
Pile Driver Operators
Employment: 11
Location Quotient*: 77.14
Rock Splitters, Quarry
Employment: 11
Location Quotient*: 66.54
Woodworkers, All Other
Employment: 19
Location Quotient*: 57.43
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment: 69
Location Quotient*: 32.56
Key Cluster
Total Employment
Advanced Materials
429
Aerospace & Defense
0
Appliances & Electrical
110
Automotive
353
Business Services
68
Chemicals
247
Distribution & Logistics
50
Film, Music & Entertainment
0
Food & Beverage
0
Healthcare & Medical Devices
0
Top Employers
Top County Employers
Estimated Employees
City
Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.
Est. Employees: 735
City: Erwin
Unicoi County Board of Education
Est. Employees: 400
City: Erwin
Specialty Tires of America, Inc.
Est. Employees: 231
City: Unicoi
Tsubaki Nakashima Co., Ltd
Est. Employees: 220
City: Erwin
Walmart Stores, Inc.
Est. Employees: 200
City: Unicoi
Unicoi County Memorial Hospital, Inc.
Est. Employees: 135
City: Erwin
Unicoi County Government
Est. Employees: 125
City: Unicoi
Erwin Health Care Center
Est. Employees: 114
City: Erwin
Center On Aging & Health, LLC
Est. Employees: 110
City: Erwin
Food City
Est. Employees: 99
City: Erwin
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation
Nearest Commercial Service Airport
Tri-Cities Regional
Distance to Nearest Commercial Service Airport
31
Daily Flights At Nearest Commercial Service Airport
14
Nearest General Aviation Airport
Johnson City
Distance to Nearest General Aviation Airport
19.2
Runway Length at Nearest General Aviation Airport
3,000'
Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes)
24.8
Access of Interstate
I-26
U.S. Highways
19, 23
State Highways
36, 81, 107, 173, 352, 395
Nearest Port (From County Seat)
Knoxville
Railroads Serving County
CSX
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
Unicoi
Tennessee
Population Aged 25-64 With High School Degree Or Higher
Unicoi: 88.8%
Tennessee: 91.5%
Population Aged 25-64 With Associate's Degree Or Higher
Unicoi: 25.3%
Tennessee: 41.2%
Population Aged 25-64 With Bachelor's Degree Or Higher
Unicoi: 15.2%
Tennessee: 32.8%
High School Graduation Rate
Unicoi: 95.4%
Tennessee: 90.6%
College Going Rate
Unicoi: 63.7%
Tennessee: 56.7%
Average ACT Score
Unicoi: 18.5
Tennessee: 19.0
High School Graduation Rate
College Going Rate
Average ACT Score
Unicoi County Schools
Enrollment
Elementary Schools
Enrollment: 898
Middle Schools
Enrollment: 446
High Schools
Enrollment: 713
Regional Higher Education Institutions
City
Enrollment
East Tennessee State University
City: Johnson City
Enrollment: 13,483
Tusculum College
City: Greeneville
Enrollment: 1,309
Milligan College
City: Milligan College
Enrollment: 1,105
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton
City: Elizabethton
Enrollment: 495
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
15
Overweight & Obesity Prevalence
Adults*
20.9
Children** (Grade 8)
45.4
Regional Hospitals
Number of Beds
City
Unicoi County Hospital
Number of Beds: 10
City: Erwin
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
65.1°F
Average Low Temperature
43.8°F
Average Annual Temperature
54.4°F
Annual Rainfall
53.78"
Elevation (at County Seat)
1,675'
Prevailing Winds
West
Sources:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2023)
Community Information
Erwin
Population (2022)
5,921
Charter Type
Private Act
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$1.86
Phone Number
(423) 743-6231
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
Yes
Main Street Participant
No
Unicoi
Population (2022)
3,556
Charter Type
General Law Mayor-Alderman
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
Phone Number
(423) 743-7162
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