Unicoi County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Unicoi County, Tennessee had an estimated 17,872 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,912, across 186 square miles. County output reached $813.1 m in 2024, 243 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $2.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Unicoi County
How many people live in Unicoi County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,756
- Households7,795
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$52,218
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$750 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$189,600
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,197
- Population under 183,169
- Share under 1817.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,216
- Share 65 and over23.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,371
- Civilian labor force8,140
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties72nd of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1997th of 3,222
Unicoi County is the 72nd 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 23.7 percent against 17.8 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.
Unicoi County
Is Unicoi County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202417,872
- Census 2020 base population17,912
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.22 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202460
- Births, 2024152
- Deaths, 2024334
- Natural change, 2024-182
- Net domestic migration, 2024237
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024241
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024778
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1922nd of 3,144
The county has lost 0.22 percent of its population 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.
Unicoi County
Where are people moving to Unicoi County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving512
- People arriving, from those returns952
- Tax returns filed by households leaving397
- Net household movement115
- Adjusted gross income arriving$29.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$12.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$57,059
- Average income of a leaving household$43,018
- Largest single originWashington County (131 households)
- Largest single destinationWashington County (137 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 131 | 244 | $6.2 m |
| Carter County | 57 | 129 | $2.9 m |
| Sullivan County | 28 | 48 | $1.2 m |
| Buncombe County | 23 | 34 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $14,041 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.
Unicoi County
What is the Unicoi County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$813.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$763.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years36.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes64th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2016th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$45,792
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 36.9 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.
Unicoi County
Employment by industry in Unicoi County
- Covered employment, annual average5,042
- Establishments reporting338
- Average annual pay$56,936
- Average weekly wage$1,095
- Manufacturing, employment1,800
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$84,100
- Retail trade, employment560
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,962
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment106
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$51,361
- Other services, except public administration, employment97
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$27,972
- Finance and insurance, employment72
- Wholesale trade, employment56
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,800 | 30 | $84,100 |
| Retail trade | 560 | 42 | $28,962 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 106 | 18 | $51,361 |
| Other services, except public administration | 97 | 24 | $27,972 |
| Finance and insurance | 72 | 20 | $58,629 |
| Wholesale trade | 56 | 12 | $62,601 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 23 | 8 | $40,748 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,800 jobs, 35.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Unicoi County
How many businesses are in Unicoi County?
- Establishments, all industries243
- Employment at those establishments4,203
- Annual payroll$216.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.7
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.
Unicoi County
Building permits in Unicoi County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202426
- Declared construction value permitted$6.0 m
- Single family units authorized26
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$229,412
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Unicoi County
SBA loans in Unicoi County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$953,533
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$2,410,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)21
- Jobs per approval7.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term132 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$426,000
- Average 504 approval$426,000
- Median 504 approval$426,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval35.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved82.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.3 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.
Unicoi County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Unicoi County
Do SBA loans in Unicoi County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 0 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.
Unicoi County
SBA lending by place in Unicoi County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Erwin, approvals2
- Unicoi, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Erwin | 2 | $2,760,600 |
| Unicoi | 1 | $100,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Unicoi County
How large is Unicoi County?
- Land area186 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties90th of 95
- Width, east to west22 mi
- Height, north to south20.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land95
- Establishments per square mile1.31
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.
Unicoi County
Flood risk in Unicoi County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Unicoi County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470238
- 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 Unicoi 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 Unicoi County (community 470238), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Unicoi 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 Unicoi 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 Unicoi County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,756
- Households7,795
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$52,218
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Unicoi County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Unicoi County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 17,872 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,756, in 7,795 households, ranking 72nd of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Unicoi County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,912, to 17,872 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 152 births against 334 deaths, with net migration of 241. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Unicoi County?
$52,218. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $189,600, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $750 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Unicoi County?
243 establishments, employing 4,203 people with an annual payroll of $216.5 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 Unicoi County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,800 jobs, 35.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,042 jobs at an average annual pay of $56,936, or $1,095 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Unicoi County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $2.9 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $426,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Unicoi County?
26 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $6.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Unicoi 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 Unicoi County come from?
The largest single origin is Washington County, with 131 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,059 against $43,018 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Unicoi 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 Unicoi 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.
Unicoi County
Cities and places in Unicoi.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Unicoi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erwin | town | 5,988 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Unicoi | town | 3,806 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Banner Hill | CDP | 1,211 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |