Unicoi County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Unicoi County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 17,779. It is the 71st most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Unicoi County is 47.4 years. This is 22% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Unicoi County is $50,381. This is 25% lower than the state median of $67,097. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 14.2%. This is 3% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.1%. This is 9% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $168,200. Housing costs are 35% lower than the state median of $256,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 72.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 67.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Unicoi County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.4%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 15.7%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

20.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 30.4%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Unicoi County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Tennessee and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.