Cocke County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Cocke County, Tennessee had an estimated 37,596 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 35,997, across 435 square miles. County output reached $1.21 bn in 2024, 474 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $3.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cocke County
How many people live in Cocke County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,813
- Households15,509
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$48,016
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$798 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,100
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over26,814
- Population under 187,500
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over8,101
- Share 65 and over22.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,212
- Civilian labor force16,137
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.1 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties41st of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1293rd of 3,222
Cocke County is the 41st largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.0 percent against 20.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cocke County
Is Cocke County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202437,596
- Census 2020 base population35,997
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.44 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024324
- Births, 2024366
- Deaths, 2024725
- Natural change, 2024-359
- Net domestic migration, 2024658
- Net international migration, 202421
- Total net migration, 2024679
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,951
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents623rd of 3,144
The county has grown 4.44 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cocke County
Where are people moving to Cocke County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,148
- People arriving, from those returns2,243
- Tax returns filed by households leaving726
- Net household movement422
- Adjusted gross income arriving$55.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$23.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$47,989
- Average income of a leaving household$43,383
- Largest single originSevier County (180 households)
- Largest single destinationJefferson County (130 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County | 180 | 382 | $5.5 m |
| Jefferson County | 76 | 160 | $3.1 m |
| Hamblen County | 65 | 124 | $2.9 m |
| Knox County | 56 | 85 | $2.5 m |
| Greene County | 28 | 54 | $851,000 |
Households arriving report $4,606 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Sevier County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cocke County
What is the Cocke County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.21 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.7 percent
- GDP change over five years50.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes51st of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1687th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$32,877
Output grew 11.7 percent in the latest year and 50.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cocke County
Employment by industry in Cocke County
- Covered employment, annual average7,903
- Establishments reporting594
- Average annual pay$45,422
- Average weekly wage$873
- Retail trade, employment1,450
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,780
- Manufacturing, employment1,163
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$64,875
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,017
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,660
- Construction, employment250
- Construction, average annual pay$53,622
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment182
- Finance and insurance, employment144
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,450 | 112 | $31,780 |
| Manufacturing | 1,163 | 34 | $64,875 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,017 | 71 | $21,660 |
| Construction | 250 | 43 | $53,622 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 182 | 12 | $20,431 |
| Finance and insurance | 144 | 31 | $68,973 |
| Wholesale trade | 112 | 18 | $92,875 |
| Other services, except public administration | 110 | 24 | $41,110 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,450 jobs, 18.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cocke County
How many businesses are in Cocke County?
- Establishments, all industries474
- Employment at those establishments5,871
- Annual payroll$248.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cocke County
Building permits in Cocke County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202413
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized12
- Multifamily share of units92.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$135,103
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.8
Multifamily is 92.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cocke County
SBA loans in Cocke County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$515,929
- Median 7(a) approval$342,000
- Largest single approval$1,780,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)78
- Jobs per approval11.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 504 approval$1,644,000
- Median 504 approval$1,644,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval18.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.9
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.3 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cocke County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cocke County
Do SBA loans in Cocke County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cocke County
SBA lending by place in Cocke County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Newport, approvals6
- Cosby, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Newport | 6 | $3,161,000 |
| Cosby | 1 | $450,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cocke County
How large is Cocke County?
- Land area435 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties50th of 95
- Width, east to west23.1 mi
- Height, north to south32.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land85
- Establishments per square mile1.09
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cocke County
Flood risk in Cocke County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cocke County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470033
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cocke County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Cocke County (community 470033), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cocke County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Cocke County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cocke County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,813
- Households15,509
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$48,016
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Cocke County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cocke County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 37,596 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 36,813, in 15,509 households, ranking 41st of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cocke County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.44 percent since the 2020 census base of 35,997, to 37,596 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 366 births against 725 deaths, with net migration of 679. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cocke County?
$48,016. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,100, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $798 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cocke County?
474 establishments, employing 5,871 people with an annual payroll of $248.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cocke County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,450 jobs, 18.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,903 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,422, or $873 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cocke County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $3.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $342,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cocke County?
13 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.8 m. Multifamily was 92.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cocke County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Cocke County come from?
The largest single origin is Sevier County, with 180 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,989 against $43,383 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cocke County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cocke County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Cocke County
Cities and places in Cocke.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cocke County. All 3 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | city | 6,881 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Cosby | CDP | 779 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Parrottsville | town | 374 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |