Population 56,712 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carter County
Household size in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Carter County are small: just 2.30 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.35, as it has nationally. Few Tennessee counties have smaller households: only six of 95.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.5 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.4 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.0 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Carter County skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.5, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Carter County as they are nationally: 11.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Carter County
Renters in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.4% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Carter County is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (58.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.9 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Carter County: 13.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Carter County was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Tennessee as a whole, where the median home dates to 1986. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing. Of Tennessee's 95 counties, only four have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $484 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $548 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $627 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $755 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$271 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Carter County runs $755 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $271 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.7% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Carter County
Bachelor's degrees in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Carter County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.4% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.4% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.7% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.9% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Carter County have finished high school as nationally: 89.9%, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 12.5 points, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Carter County: 6.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Carter County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 2.30 | 45.0 | 11.0% | 24.8% | 13.3% | 1976 | $755 | 21.1% | 89.9% | 6.1% |
| Washington County | 2.34 | 41.3 | 9.1% | 35.5% | 10.8% | 1984 | $1,008 | 34.9% | 91.3% | 4.7% |
| Johnson County | 2.33 | 46.2 | 14.4% | 22.5% | 16.3% | 1982 | $741 | 17.4% | 83.0% | 3.8% |
| Watauga County | 2.33 | 35.3 | 6.0% | 37.9% | 27.1% | 1986 | $1,142 | 52.3% | 91.3% | 7.7% |
| Hawkins County | 2.46 | 46.1 | 12.6% | 19.9% | 13.3% | 1985 | $907 | 16.2% | 87.4% | 7.1% |
| Ashe County | 2.20 | 49.6 | 9.0% | 20.6% | 27.3% | 1983 | $894 | 27.0% | 89.1% | 4.5% |
| Hamblen County | 2.55 | 40.3 | 14.5% | 30.2% | 7.6% | 1982 | $890 | 20.2% | 88.3% | 4.8% |
| Alleghany County | 2.15 | 51.2 | 4.0% | 25.6% | 29.5% | 1980 | $721 | 22.2% | 83.7% | 4.1% |
| Grainger County | 2.54 | 46.7 | 10.2% | 22.9% | 16.4% | 1991 | $872 | 16.2% | 85.9% | 4.3% |
| Claiborne County | 2.30 | 42.5 | 11.2% | 27.8% | 12.8% | 1987 | $750 | 18.0% | 84.2% | 4.4% |
| Surry County | 2.37 | 44.0 | 12.2% | 26.6% | 12.0% | 1979 | $760 | 20.3% | 83.8% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Mercer County, WV · Liberty County, GA · Lincoln County, MO · Lincoln Parish, LA · Livingston County, NY · Lowndes County, MS · Marion County, OH · Marion County, WV · Mason County, WA · Maverick County, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Carter County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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