Unicoi County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Unicoi County, Tennessee has a population of 17,756 across 186 square miles, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Unicoi County
How many people live in Unicoi County
- Population17,756
- 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-equivalents1997th
Unicoi County is the 72nd largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Unicoi County
Is Unicoi County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,912
- 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
The county has lost 0.22 percent of its population 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.
Unicoi County
Where people moving to Unicoi County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving512
- People arriving, from those returns952
- Adjusted gross income arriving$29.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$57,059
- Largest single originUnicoi County Non-migrants (6,163 households)
- Largest single destination (6,163 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicoi County Non-migrants | 6,163 | 12,142 | $372.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 231 | 418 | $14.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 132 | 237 | $7.6 m |
| Washington County | 131 | 244 | $6.2 m |
| Carter County | 57 | 129 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 48 | 94 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 42 | 79 | $2.9 m |
| Sullivan County | 28 | 48 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Unicoi 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.
Unicoi County
What the Unicoi County economy runs on
- 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 Tennessee counties64th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2016th
- 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
Who employs people in Unicoi County
- Covered employment, annual average5,042
- Establishments reporting338
- Average annual pay$56,936
- Average weekly wage$1,095
- Sector 31-33, employment1,800
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$84,100
- Sector 44-45, employment560
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,962
- Sector 56, employment106
- Sector 56, average annual pay$51,361
- Sector 81, employment97
- Sector 81, average annual pay$27,972
- Sector 52, employment72
- Sector 42, employment56
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,800 | 30 | $84,100 |
| Sector 44-45 | 560 | 42 | $28,962 |
| Sector 56 | 106 | 18 | $51,361 |
| Sector 81 | 97 | 24 | $27,972 |
| Sector 52 | 72 | 20 | $58,629 |
| Sector 42 | 56 | 12 | $62,601 |
| Sector 53 | 23 | 8 | $40,748 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,800 jobs, 35.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Unicoi County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Unicoi County
What is being built in Unicoi County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202426
- Declared construction value permitted$6.0 m
- Single family units authorised26
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$229,412
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Unicoi County
How much SBA lending happens in Unicoi County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$953,533
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,410,600
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countMachine Shops (1)
- Most active lenderEnterprise Bank & Trust (1)
- 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
- Most active CDCSouth Central Tennessee Business Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.3 m
The average approval of $953,533 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Unicoi County
Which parts of Unicoi County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- ERWIN, approvals2
- UNICOI, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ERWIN | 2 | $2,760,600 |
| UNICOI | 1 | $100,000 |
ERWIN accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in UNICOI. 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.
Unicoi County
How big 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 boundary3
- 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.
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 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.
- Population17,756
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has fallen 0.22 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Unicoi County?
Average annual pay is $56,936, or $1,095 a week, across 5,042 covered jobs. 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 totalling $2.9 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $426,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Unicoi County?
26 housing units were authorised 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 Unicoi County Non-migrants, with 6,163 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,059 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 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?
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.