Mountain City, Tennessee Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Mountain City is a small community located in Tennessee, within Johnson County. The total population is 2,542. It ranks as the 182nd most populous out of 502 Census-designated places in Tennessee.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mountain City is 52.2 years. This is 34% higher than the state median of 38.9 years. 14.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Mountain City is $38,818. This is 44% lower than the state median of $69,595. It is also 52% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 34.1%. This is 148% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 6.6%. This is 40% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $216,300. Housing costs are 25% lower than the state median of $286,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.6x. 56.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% lower than the state average of 66.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Mountain City is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.4%. The Black or African American population (3.9%) is well below the state average of 15.4%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.9%.

Education

12.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 61% lower than the state rate of 31.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 78.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Mountain City, Tennessee is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Tennessee state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 502 Census-designated places in Tennessee. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.