County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Carter County
- What is the median household income in Carter County?
- The median household income in Carter County is $48,435 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Carter County?
- The poverty rate in Carter County is 12.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Carter County?
- $157,200 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Carter County?
- The median gross rent in Carter County is $738 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Carter County residents have a college degree?
- 20.7% of adults in Carter County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
56,462
Median Income
$48,435
Median Home Value
$157,200
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.8%
Median Age
45.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$10,343 (+27.2%)
Home Value:
+$34,600 (+28.2%)
Poverty Rate:
-4.1 pp (-24.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+3.2 pp (+18.3%)
Unemployment:
+2.1 pp (+44.7%)
Demographics
Total Population
56,462
Median Age
45.0
Female
51.0%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
White (non-Hisp.) 93.3%
Black 2.0%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 2.6%
Other 0.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
0.7%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$48,435
±$3,352
-$18,662 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$65,613
Median Family Income
$63,514
Poverty Rate
12.7%
+2.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
20.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
14.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
27.7%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.3%
$10–15k
6.2%
$15–25k
13.8%
$25–35k
9.7%
$35–50k
15.0%
$50–75k
19.3%
$75–100k
10.8%
$100–150k
12.6%
$150–200k
3.6%
$200k+
2.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
27,982
Owner-Occupied
74.1%
Renter-Occupied
25.9%
Vacancy Rate
13.6%
Median Home Value
$157,200
-$99,600 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$738
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
22.1%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
28.1%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
11.8%
$50–100k
15.3%
$100–200k
19.7%
$200–300k
17.6%
$300–500k
11.5%
$500k–$1M
3.0%
$1M+
0.8%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
15.1%
$500–1k
66.4%
$1–1.5k
14.6%
$1.5–2k
2.9%
$2–2.5k
0.1%
$2.5–3.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
0.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.6%
1 vehicle
30.8%
2 vehicles
37.6%
3+
25.9%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
67.8%
Single-fam. att.
1.1%
2–4 units
1.7%
5–19 units
4.1%
20+ units
0.7%
Mobile home
17.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
12.7%
1940–1969
7.3%
1970–1999
15.1%
2000–2009
11.2%
2010+
5.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
88.7%
Bachelor's or Higher
20.7%
-9.7 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
6.8%
Some College / Associate
20.5%
Less Than High School
3.5%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
52.1%
Unemployment Rate
6.8%
+2.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.8%
Self-Employed
7.4%
Government Workers
17.3%
Private For-Profit
75.2%
Industry
Edu/Health
26.2%
Retail
13.5%
Manufacturing
12.2%
Arts/Entmt.
8.5%
Prof. Services
8.1%
Construction
7.4%
Transportation
5.9%
Finance
5.1%
Public Admin
3.6%
Wholesale
2.3%
Information
1.1%
Agriculture
0.9%
Occupation
Management
32.3%
Sales
23.4%
Food Prep
17.2%
Production
16.4%
Construction
10.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
24.2 min
Drove Alone
85.0%
Carpool
6.0%
Public Transit
0.3%
Work from Home
6.8%
Walked
0.8%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
24,188
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
45.5%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
12.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.0%
5–9
4.8%
10–14
5.4%
15–19
6.0%
20–24
5.5%
25–34
12.0%
35–44
11.3%
45–54
13.8%
55–64
7.7%
65–74
7.3%
75–84
12.9%
85+
7.1%
Under 18: 17.9%
Working age (18–64): 82.1%
65 and over: 22.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
2.1%
Naturalized Citizen
26.3%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
0.7%
Foreign-Born Origin
Africa
34.4%
Latin America
31.5%
Europe
21.0%
Asia
11.5%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.6%
With a Disability
22.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
87.1%
Uninsured
12.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
80.0%
Has a Computer
88.6%
Same House 1 Year Ago
90.5%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Carter County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Carter County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 550 | 1,002 |
| Other flows - South | 415 | 741 |
| Sullivan County | 203 | 388 |
| Other flows - West | 143 | 260 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 95 | 159 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 53 | 105 |
| Unicoi County | 53 | 93 |
| Greene County | 36 | 67 |
| Johnson County | 33 | 70 |
| Avery County | 29 | 65 |