United States › Tennessee › Carter County COUNTY · 2020 ACS
Carter County Tennessee · 56,356 residents · 341 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
With 56,356 people, Carter County is a county in Tennessee. At a median age of 45.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $125,100. The foreign-born share is 2%. That trails the Tennessee median by roughly 26%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 45.5
US median: 38.8
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
51K 53K 55K 57K 60K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Carter County Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $40,820
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,371 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $14,678 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 16.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 4.5%
Public administration 3.8%
Transportation & warehousing 2.5%
Education & health services 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1%
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$125,100
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $68,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$644
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $393 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 74.9% in 2000
30.7% rent
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.8 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 96.9%(54,996)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(504)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 91.9%(51,790)
Hispanic / Latino 2.1%(1,181)
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 69.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 82.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 56.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 15.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 29.2%(6,920)
Women 15+
Never married 23.3%(5,863)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 15.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 15.2%(641)
Gulf War (1990s) 20.3%(855)
Share of the 4,216 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Carter County Head to head
Compare Carter County to nearby counties CARTER COUNTY VS
Sullivan County
Income $58,807 +44%
Home value $213,300 +71%
Population 163,759 +185%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTER COUNTY VS
Avery County
Income $61,428 +50%
Home value $265,800 +112%
Population 18,110 −68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTER COUNTY VS
Johnson County
Income $53,129 +30%
Home value $178,600 +43%
Population 18,718 −67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARTER COUNTY VS
Mitchell County
Income $57,602 +41%
Home value $220,100 +76%
Population 15,062 −74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Carter County, Tennessee? Carter County, Tennessee has about 56,356 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Carter County, Tennessee? The typical household in Carter County, Tennessee earns about $40,820 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Carter County, Tennessee expensive? In Carter County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $125,100, and the typical rent is about $644 a month.
How educated are people in Carter County, Tennessee? About 18.5% of adults age 25 and over in Carter County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Carter County, Tennessee? About 19.1% of people in Carter County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Carter County, Tennessee grown since 1990? Yes, Carter County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,851 residents, a change of about 9 percent over that period.
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