Cocke County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Cocke County, Tennessee has a population of 36,813 across 435 square miles, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cocke County
How many people live in Cocke County
- Population36,813
- 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-equivalents1293rd
Cocke County is the 41st largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cocke County
Is Cocke County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.44 percent
- Census 2020 base population35,997
- 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
The county has grown 4.44 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Cocke County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,148
- People arriving, from those returns2,243
- Adjusted gross income arriving$55.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,989
- Largest single originCocke County Non-migrants (12,936 households)
- Largest single destination (12,936 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocke County Non-migrants | 12,936 | 25,696 | $629.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 621 | 1,210 | $36.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 354 | 687 | $20.7 m |
| Sevier County | 180 | 382 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 122 | 228 | $4.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 116 | 224 | $6.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 82 | 167 | $5.1 m |
| Jefferson County | 76 | 160 | $3.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cocke County Non-migrants, 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 the Cocke County economy runs on
- 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 Tennessee counties51st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1687th
- 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
Who employs people in Cocke County
- Covered employment, annual average7,903
- Establishments reporting594
- Average annual pay$45,422
- Average weekly wage$873
- Sector 44-45, employment1,450
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,780
- Sector 31-33, employment1,163
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,875
- Sector 72, employment1,017
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,660
- Sector 23, employment250
- Sector 23, average annual pay$53,622
- Sector 71, employment182
- Sector 52, employment144
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,450 | 112 | $31,780 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,163 | 34 | $64,875 |
| Sector 72 | 1,017 | 71 | $21,660 |
| Sector 23 | 250 | 43 | $53,622 |
| Sector 71 | 182 | 12 | $20,431 |
| Sector 52 | 144 | 31 | $68,973 |
| Sector 42 | 112 | 18 | $92,875 |
| Sector 81 | 110 | 24 | $41,110 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,450 jobs, 18.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cocke County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cocke County
What is being built in Cocke County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202413
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised12
- Multifamily share of units92.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$135,103
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.8
Multifamily is 92.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cocke County
How much SBA lending happens in Cocke County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$515,929
- Median 7(a) approval$342,000
- 10th percentile approval$24,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,780,000
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- 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
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.3 m
The average approval of $515,929 sits well above the median of $342,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 28.6 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.
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cocke County
Which parts of Cocke County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- NEWPORT, approvals6
- COSBY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NEWPORT | 6 | $3,161,000 |
| COSBY | 1 | $450,500 |
NEWPORT accounts for 6 approvals against 1 in COSBY. 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.
Cocke County
How big 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 boundary4
- 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population36,813
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 4.44 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Cocke County?
Average annual pay is $45,422, or $873 a week, across 7,903 covered jobs. 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 totalling $3.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $342,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cocke County?
13 housing units were authorised 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 Cocke County Non-migrants, with 12,936 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,989 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.