Population 33,992 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rhea County
Household size in Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Rhea County run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.57 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the south.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.7 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Rhea County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 38.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Rhea County than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as 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 Rhea County
Renters in Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.7% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Rhea County own their homes; 28.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 52.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is up 3.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Rhea County: 12.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rhea County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of Tennessee. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $533 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $595 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $696 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $903 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$370 | +$526 | +$606 |
Rent in Rhea County runs $903 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $370 a month since 2006–10, up 69%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Rhea County
Bachelor's degrees in Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.6% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rhea County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the west.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.2% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.5% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.7% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.4% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Rhea County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.2 points, mirroring the country. Rhea County has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Tennessee counties.
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 Rhea County
| Period | Rhea County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rhea County is close to the national rate: 5.2% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 8.9 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Rhea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County | 2.50 | 42.2 | 13.2% | 28.5% | 12.4% | 1989 | $903 | 18.6% | 83.4% | 5.2% |
| Meigs County | 2.56 | 45.4 | 5.7% | 19.0% | 15.2% | 1994 | $875 | 13.6% | 84.8% | 5.9% |
| Bledsoe County | 2.82 | 43.8 | 9.0% | 17.5% | 17.6% | 1991 | $835 | 11.8% | 78.8% | 1.9% |
| McMinn County | 2.55 | 43.2 | 12.8% | 24.2% | 12.5% | 1981 | $864 | 18.6% | 87.4% | 5.0% |
| Monroe County | 2.44 | 44.7 | 13.3% | 27.8% | 9.9% | 1989 | $748 | 16.3% | 85.3% | 4.5% |
| Warren County | 2.60 | 40.4 | 13.4% | 27.6% | 12.6% | 1980 | $854 | 13.6% | 86.2% | 6.0% |
| Coffee County | 2.62 | 39.2 | 13.3% | 31.0% | 9.6% | 1984 | $954 | 20.9% | 88.4% | 3.7% |
| Bedford County | 2.67 | 37.0 | 16.2% | 28.1% | 6.3% | 1991 | $1,083 | 16.8% | 84.9% | 4.1% |
| Swain County | 2.31 | 41.5 | 15.2% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1989 | $703 | 21.4% | 86.8% | 7.9% |
| Marshall County | 2.67 | 39.1 | 13.5% | 23.2% | 8.2% | 1988 | $1,126 | 23.0% | 90.9% | 4.0% |
| Haywood County | 2.33 | 47.7 | 9.5% | 25.1% | 21.9% | 1980 | $1,069 | 29.6% | 91.3% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Camden County, MO · Wharton County, TX · Wexford County, MI · Webster County, MO · Wayne County, WV · Champaign County, OH · Chambers County, AL · Cayey Municipio, PR · Cass County, IN · Canovanas Municipio, PR
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 Rhea 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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