Sullivan County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Sullivan County, Tennessee had an estimated 162,703 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 158,161, across 413 square miles. County output reached $11.88 bn in 2024, 3,382 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 71 7(a) approvals worth $46.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Sullivan County
How many people live in Sullivan County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024160,624
- Households68,907
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$58,807
- Median age45.0
- Median gross rent$889 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$213,300
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over118,080
- Population under 1830,610
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over35,721
- Share 65 and over22.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6494,293
- Civilian labor force75,119
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties9th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included431st of 3,222
Sullivan County is the 9th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.2 percent against 19.1 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.
Sullivan County
Is Sullivan County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024162,703
- Census 2020 base population158,161
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.87 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024649
- Births, 20241,519
- Deaths, 20242,486
- Natural change, 2024-967
- Net domestic migration, 20241,527
- Net international migration, 202488
- Total net migration, 20241,615
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20248,522
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents906th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.87 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.
Sullivan County
Where are people moving to Sullivan County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,658
- People arriving, from those returns8,567
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,533
- Net household movement1,125
- Adjusted gross income arriving$301.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$104.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$64,786
- Average income of a leaving household$55,826
- Largest single originWashington County (780 households)
- Largest single destinationWashington County (771 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 780 | 1,348 | $47.1 m |
| Hawkins County | 383 | 735 | $18.7 m |
| Bristol city | 222 | 436 | $9.8 m |
| Carter County | 209 | 365 | $8.2 m |
| Washington County | 200 | 366 | $10.7 m |
| Scott County | 118 | 220 | $5.3 m |
| Greene County | 94 | 155 | $3.5 m |
| Knox County | 89 | 123 | $4.8 m |
Households arriving report $8,960 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 Washington 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.
Sullivan County
What is the Sullivan County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$11.88 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years41.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes8th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes386th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$73,959
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 41.2 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.
Sullivan County
Employment by industry in Sullivan County
- Covered employment, annual average70,256
- Establishments reporting4,219
- Average annual pay$62,036
- Average weekly wage$1,193
- Manufacturing, employment11,494
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$99,215
- Health care and social assistance, employment10,532
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$73,644
- Retail trade, employment8,982
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,352
- Accommodation and food services, employment7,178
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,369
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment5,539
- Construction, employment4,391
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 11,494 | 207 | $99,215 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,532 | 616 | $73,644 |
| Retail trade | 8,982 | 605 | $36,352 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,178 | 353 | $22,369 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 5,539 | 228 | $43,610 |
| Construction | 4,391 | 357 | $72,086 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 2,895 | 470 | $75,493 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,592 | 112 | $54,169 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 11,494 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sullivan County
How many businesses are in Sullivan County?
- Establishments, all industries3,382
- Employment at those establishments60,008
- Annual payroll$3.65 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Sullivan County
Building permits in Sullivan County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024453
- Declared construction value permitted$107.9 m
- Single family units authorized423
- Multifamily units authorized30
- Multifamily share of units6.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$238,267
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.6
Single-family homes are 93.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sullivan County
SBA loans in Sullivan County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded71
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$46.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$658,793
- Median 7(a) approval$246,300
- 10th percentile approval$35,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,192,000
- Largest single approval$4,650,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)699
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active32
- Distinct industries receiving approvals43
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter49
- Franchise loans18
- Franchise share of approvals25.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (11)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (22)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.8 m
- Average 504 approval$598,500
- Median 504 approval$568,500
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.4
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$51.6 m
The average approval of $658,793 sits well above the median of $246,300, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 21.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Sullivan County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Sullivan County
Do SBA loans in Sullivan County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded22
- Paid in full22
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full22
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure39
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 22 loans have 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.
Sullivan County
SBA lending by place in Sullivan County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Kingsport, approvals25
- Bristol, approvals22
- Blountville, approvals16
- Bluff City, approvals4
- Piney Flats, approvals2
- Ashburn, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kingsport | 25 | $19,640,400 |
| Bristol | 22 | $13,376,900 |
| Blountville | 16 | $9,736,600 |
| Bluff City | 4 | $991,900 |
| Piney Flats | 2 | $2,893,500 |
| Ashburn | 1 | $85,000 |
| Afton | 1 | $50,000 |
Kingsport accounts for 25 approvals against 22 in Bristol. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sullivan County
How large is Sullivan County?
- Land area413 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties56th of 95
- Width, east to west47.4 mi
- Height, north to south15.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land389
- Establishments per square mile8.19
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.
Sullivan County
Flood risk in Sullivan County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Sullivan County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470181
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Sullivan County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Sullivan County (community 470181), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Sullivan County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Sullivan 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 Sullivan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024160,624
- Households68,907
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$58,807
- Median age45.0
Common questions
Sullivan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sullivan County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 162,703 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 160,624, in 68,907 households, ranking 9th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sullivan County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.87 percent since the 2020 census base of 158,161, to 162,703 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,519 births against 2,486 deaths, with net migration of 1,615. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sullivan County?
$58,807. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $213,300, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $889 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Sullivan County?
3,382 establishments, employing 60,008 people with an annual payroll of $3.65 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Sullivan County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 11,494 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 70,256 jobs at an average annual pay of $62,036, or $1,193 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sullivan County?
71 7(a) approvals totaling $46.8 m since FY2020, across 32 lenders, with a median approval of $246,300, plus 8 504 approvals worth $4.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Sullivan County?
453 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $107.9 m. Multifamily was 6.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sullivan County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Sullivan County come from?
The largest single origin is Washington County, with 780 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,786 against $55,826 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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.
Sullivan County
Cities and places in Sullivan.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Sullivan County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport | city | 56,262 | 25 | 92.0 percent here, 8.0 percent Hawkins County |
| Bristol | city | 27,636 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Bloomingdale | CDP | 9,292 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spurgeon | CDP | 4,071 | None recorded | 49.3 percent here, 50.7 percent Washington County |
| Blountville | CDP | 3,309 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Colonial Heights | CDP | 3,258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Walnut Hill | CDP | 2,415 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bluff City | city | 2,225 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Sullivan Gardens | CDP | 1,267 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orebank | CDP | 816 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 of the county's 71 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Sullivan County, the largest being Piney Flats (2), Ashburn (1), Afton (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.