Riceville, Tennessee Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 823, Riceville's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Riceville is a small community located in Tennessee, within McMinn County. The total population is 823. It ranks as the 325th most populous out of 502 Census-designated places in Tennessee.

Age Demographics

The median age in Riceville is 45.3 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 38.9 years. With 29.0% of the population under 18, Riceville has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community. 11.9% 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 Riceville is $51,100. This is 27% lower than the state median of $69,595. It is also 37% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.7%. This is 51% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Riceville, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $286,500. Housing costs are about the same as the state median of $286,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.6x. 65.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 66.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Riceville has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.6%. The Black or African American population (5.9%) is well below the state average of 15.4%.

Education

25.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 19% 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 87.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Riceville, 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.