Carter County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Carter County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                341 64th  0.8%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           39,374  87th   0.4%
Number of Farms                 79,280                516  66th   0.7%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                 76  89th   55.1%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 59,492 22nd  1.0%
2000 Census 5,689,283 56,742 21st  1.0%
1990 Census 4,877,203 51,505 18th  1.1%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 5,237 34th  0.6%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 10.2% 78th  61.1%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8             174.4 22nd  115.7%
2000 Census                   138.0             166.4 16th  120.5%
1990 Census                   118.3             151.0 14th  127.6%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968           34,081 19th  0.9%
1990 Census            2,969,948           26,128 17th  0.9%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% 30.4% 27th  139.3%
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 60.1% 16th  94.4%
1990 Census 60.9% 50.7% 18th  83.3%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 39 31st  107.2%
1990 Census 34 36 26th  108.1%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 21.4% 91st 
18-24 9.6% 9.2% 23rd 
25-44 30.2% 29.0% 39th 
45-64 23.2% 25.4% 37th 
65 & over 12.4% 15.0% 26th 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 22.2% 89th 
18-24 10.9% 11.1% 14th 
25-44 31.8% 29.8% 40th 
45-64 19.6% 21.8% 32nd 
65 & over 12.6% 15.2% 31st 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Carter County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 100.0 10th  104.9%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 7.3 81st  68.2%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 4.0 26th  85.1%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Carter County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $22,703 75th  70.6%
2000 $26,097 $18,691 72nd  71.6%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 3.29% 50th  92.80%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $32,287 79th  76.2%
2000 $35,760 $28,550 80th  79.8%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 1.77% 63rd  72.09%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 20.1% 73rd  127.22%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 30.3% 78th  134.67%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 14.4% 48th  109.25%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 18.5% 50th  116.06%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 15.6% 31st  98.96%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 14.5% 35th  102.45%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 1.6% 36th  63.89%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 1.5% 39th  60.47%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Carter County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2                9.5 92nd  66.9%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 38.3% 46th  89.5%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 9.3% 56th  98.9%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               47.7 95th  59.1%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9               10.9 35th  78.4%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                2.5 90th  192.3%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Mortality Rates           
Number of Deaths per 1,000 Population                      9.3               10.9 55th  117.2%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             302.0 64th  129.5%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             226.1 32nd  105.0%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
22nd 
1st 
22nd 
Tennessee Carter County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.6 54th  30.8%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                2.0 53rd  48.8%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               61.9 32nd  125.8%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 2.8% 44th  32.7%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Carter County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 9.7% 23rd  101.7%
2000 4.0% 4.9% 56th  122.2%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 10.9% 11th  69.7%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Carter County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 11,071 37 0.4%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 0.0% 80 0.0%
Construction 4.9% 0.0% 83 0.0%
Manufacturing 13.8% 13.6% 60 98.1%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 18.8% 40 85.2%
Information 1.8% 0.9% 38 48.0%
Financial Activities 5.2% 3.9% 32 74.5%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 5.1% 38 43.5%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 15.7% 25 126.4%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 10.6% 29 105.8%
Other Services 2.6% 2.0% 32 76.9%
Government 14.9% 19.2% 28 128.6%
Federal 1.8% 0.7% 53 40.2%
State 3.3% 0.8% 18 23.9%
Local 9.9% 17.7% 27 178.9%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
69th 
80th 
83rd 
44th 
88th 
58th 
26th 
43rd 
32nd 
31st 
70th 
69th 
60th 
23rd 
39th 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Carter County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      308,364 93rd 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         4,041 25th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $   6,002,000 78th 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Carter County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    53,219 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    24,103 45.3%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%        20,614 38.7%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         3,489 6.6%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      6,308 11.9%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $    22,808 42.9%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%        11,001 20.7%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%         6,424 12.1%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         5,384 10.1%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Carter County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      699,987
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $11,766 36th  55.6%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.10 66th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $      338,454
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $5,689 26th  51.2%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.25% 52nd 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Carter County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $       79,335 55th 0.5%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355           43,000 21st 1.1%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735           33,731 15th 1.8%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201           28,560 13th 1.6%
Recreation            1,118,527           10,117 25th 0.9%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362             3,650 23rd 1.5%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581             1,000 44th 0.1%
Solid Waste                 54,314                750 16th 1.4%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785                575 34th 0.2%
Community Development               367,547                550 34th 0.1%
Stormwater               371,227                500 25th 0.1%
Public Buildings               526,288                200 65th 0.0%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869                    - 43rd 0.0%
Other Utilities               598,698                    - 32nd 0.0%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 0.0%
Public Health Facilities               323,093                    - 30th 0.0%
Fire Protection               220,725                    - 57th 0.0%
Housing               100,189                    - 14th 0.0%
School System-wide Need                 63,021                    - 16th 0.0%
Other Facilities                 32,755                    - 9th 0.0%
Telecommunications                 17,009                    - 5th 0.0%
Property Acquisition                   3,956                    - 8th 0.0%
Grand Total  $       34,202,707  $      201,967 38th 0.6%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Carter County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 69.1% 48th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 12.8% 27th 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 57.5% 42nd 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 10.8% 25th 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 1
Public 14 0
Private 63 1
Other Public Institutions 93 2
Community Colleges 13 0
Technology Centers 27 1
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 0
Off-campus Sites 33 1
2007 - 2008 Enrollment (full-time equivalent) at Post-secondary Institutions    
Four-year Colleges and Universities*          214,260                1,026
Public 134,696 0
Private 79,564 1,026
Other Public Institutions* 134,278 728
Community Colleges 80,454 0
Technology Centers 13,939 473
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 0
Off-campus Sites 28,836 255
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Carter County Elizabethton City  
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    5,908             1,991            
Percent of Statewide 0.6% 0.2%        
1997-1998                 834,318                    5,922             2,050            
Percent of Statewide 0.7% 0.2%        
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 -14 -60        
Percent Change 13.2% -0.2% -2.9%        
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 70.4% 47.0%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 78.2% 30.4%
Special Education 14.7% 16.7% 15.8%
English Language Learners 3.2% 0.3% 0.5%
Statewide Carter County Elizabethton City  
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 80.0% 100.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 100.0% 100.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      13.3               13.7            
1997-1998                      15.8                      14.2               14.7            
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (0.9)                (1.0)                
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 97.6% 97.7%        
1997-1998 96.6% 96.6% 99.8%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 4.6% 13.6%
1997-1998 4.5% 3.5% 2.5%
*Classroom teachers include art, music and physical education teachers.  Because these auxiliary teachers are
included, ratios of students to classroom teachers do not represent and tend to be lower than actual class sizes.
Statewide Carter County Elizabethton City  
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,112 $8,235
Percent of Statewide 91.9% 106.4%        
1997-1998 $5,123 $4,903 $5,511
Percent of Statewide 95.7% 107.6%        
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,209 $2,724        
Percent Change 51.1% 45.1% 49.4%        
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $39,386 $43,771
Percent of Statewide 87.9% 97.7%
1997-1998 $34,584 $29,506 $34,202
Percent of Statewide 85.3% 98.9%
Gain $10,236 $9,880 $9,569
Percent Change 29.6% 33.5% 28.0%        
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 63.5% 55.0%
Federal 10.8% 14.4% 9.3%
Local 41.6% 22.1% 35.7%
System Rank for Percent Local 96th  41st 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 61.7% 52.6%
Federal 11.0% 15.5% 9.8%
Local 43.5% 22.8% 37.6%
System Rank for Percent Local 99th  41st 
Statewide Carter County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,485 59th 
Sources of Information for County Profiles
I. Geography & Demographics
U.S. Bureau of the Census--all data except for marriage and divorce rates.
www.census.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
TN Dept. of Health - marriage and divorce rates.
http://health.state.tn.us/
II. Income & Poverty
U.S. Bureau of the Census--median household income data & poverty rates.
www.census.gov
TN Dept. of Human Services--Food Stamp data and Families First data.
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_fsp.htm
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_tanf.htm
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis - per capita income data
www.bea.gov
III. Health & Healthcare
TN Dept.of Health, Health Statistics & Research--pregnancy, births, mortality & healthcare access data.
http://health.state.tn.us/statistics/healthdata.htm
IV. Employment
TN Dept. Of Labor and Workforce Development - unemployment data. 
http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/
U.S. Department of Labor - employment data.
ww.bls.gov/lau/home.htm
V. Value of Farmland and Agricultural Product Sold
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
VI. County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
TN County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS), Resource Center--county revenue data.
www.ctas.utk.edu
TN Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessment--equalized assessed property values.
http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/pa/taxaggr.htm
TN Dept. of Revenue--total taxable sales.
www.state.tn.us/revenue/files.htm
VII. Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--all data. 
http://tn.gov/tacir/infrastructure.html
VIII. Adult & Post-secondary Education
U.S. Bureau of the Census--educational attainment.
www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html
TN Higher Education Commission--post-secondary institution and enrollment data.
www.state.tn.us/thec
IX. Public School Systems (Total number of school systems is 136)
TN Department of Education--all data except fiscal capacity.
http://www.state.tn.us/education/mdata.shtml
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--education fiscal capacity.
http://tn.gov/tacir/fiscalcapacity.html
Prepared by TACIR