Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety32#10,613/15,637
Economy30#10,989/15,631
Housing78#3,255/14,977
Health23#12,078/15,609
Healthcare17#12,922/15,650
Environment90#1,600/15,453
Education42#9,072/15,649
Infrastructure41#9,240/15,650
Community14#13,399/15,651
Leisure & amenities82#2,773/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Gatlinburg, Tennessee ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Sevier County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Restaurants and bars · high19.0 /10k
98/100Tennessee 7.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSevier County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high15.3 /10k
98/100Tennessee 5.5 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSevier County value
Hospital quality rating · high5.0
98/100Tennessee 3.1United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSevier County value
New homes permitted · high30.0 /1k
98/100Tennessee 5.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · low0.32%
97/100Tennessee 0.52%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Public EV charging ports · high15.9 /10k
91/100Tennessee 4.3 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergySevier County value

Weaknesses

Average weekly wage · low$868
3/100Tennessee $1,354United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSevier County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high24.9%
4/100Tennessee 11.3%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Injury deaths · high138 /100k
6/100Tennessee 122 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSevier County value
Depression · high28.7%
7/100Tennessee 29.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Home price to income ratio · high6.2×
10/100Tennessee 4.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Distance to an Amtrak station · high90 mi
12/100Tennessee 93 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauSevier County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
4,004 (2015-2019) → 3,663 (2020-2024)
−8.5%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
17.6 /1k (2021) → 30.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+70%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
48.7% (2015-2019) → 39.6% (2020-2024)
−9.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
24.5% (2015-2019) → 31.8% (2020-2024)
+7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Median household incomeImproving
$40,802 (2015-2019) → $53,475 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
28.7% (2015-2019) → 23.5% (2020-2024)
−5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Gatlinburg, Tennessee improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Household income+31%$40,802 → $53,475

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Gatlinburg, Tennessee between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.3 min2015-2019	18.8 min2020-2024	+3.5 min	Within the margin of error	16%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.5%2015-2019	31.8%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Broadband subscriptions	84.3%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Effective property tax rate	0.31%2015-2019	0.32%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	15%
High school diploma or higher	89.6%2015-2019	87.7%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Home price to income ratio	5.2×2015-2019	6.2×2020-2024	+1.0×	Within the margin of error	20%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4072015-2019	0.4492020-2024	+0.041	Within the margin of error	20%
Median household income	$40,8022015-2019	$53,4752020-2024	+31%	Improved	58%
Poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	13.5%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Rent as share of income	28.7%2015-2019	23.5%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Rent-burdened households	48.7%2015-2019	39.6%2020-2024	−9.1 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	28.1%2015-2019	24.8%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	78%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Gatlinburg, Tennessee five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Gatlinburg, Tennessee itself moved −1.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,663 residents (±24)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (+9.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,663 residents (±24)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

White72%2,620
Black0.1%†3
Hispanic or Latino22%†803

Education

2,574 residents (±253)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

No high school diploma12%†316
High school or GED27%694
Some college24%609

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,402 households (±176)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $25k20%†276
$25k–50k25%†353
$50k–75k22%304
$75k–100k8.4%†118
$100k–150k12%†170
$150k–200k10%†146
$200k or more2.5%†35

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+8.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,402 households (±176)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Own64%903
Rent36%499

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

451 households (±97)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $7506.4%†29
$750–1,00027%†122
$1,000–1,50049%†220

Home values

903 homes (±155)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $150k7.3%†66
$150k–250k19%†173
$250k–400k44%†394

Age of homes

4,830 homes (±223)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

2010 or later14%698
2000–200915%740
1980–199940%1,915

Size of homes

4,830 homes (±223)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Studio4.8%†231
1 bedroom21%1,029
2 bedrooms44%2,139

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,672 workers (±234)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Drive alone65%1,095
Carpool21%†352
Public transit0.0%0
Walk8.6%†144
Bike0.5%†8
Work from home4.4%†73
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (+10.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,599 workers (±228)

Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under 15 min42%672
15–29 min39%627
30–44 min12%†194

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Sevierville, TN

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Sevier County, the county holding most of Gatlinburg's residents.

Sevier County has 3,117 employer establishments, 310 for every 10,000 residents (1.25× the US rate of 248; 1.48× Tennessee's), with 47,891 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,211. The Census Bureau also counts 10,089 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,117; 10,089 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 310; US 248 · Tennessee 210
Paid employees: 47,891
Average annual pay: $38,211; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sevier County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	390	38.8	2.11×More than typical	10,365	$28,675	66
Traveler accommodation	204	20.3	11.3×More than typical	5,204	$37,692	111
Lessors of real estate	198	19.7	1.60×More than typical	2,004	$48,181	1,509
Full-service restaurants	186	18.5	2.41×More than typical	7,203	$31,681	30
Clothing and accessories stores	162	16.1	4.45×More than typical	2,072	$25,290	110
Specialty trade contractors	161	16	1.04×About typical	1,056	$51,460	792
Limited-service restaurants	137	13.6	1.70×More than typical	2,466	$21,018	26
Ambulatory health care services	132	13.1	0.63×Fewer than typical	1,008	$60,907	177
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	101	10.1	3.78×More than typical	4,868	$32,953	66
Services to buildings and dwellings	95	9.5	1.40×More than typical	727	$35,307	1,386
Construction of buildings	94	9.4	1.24×About typical	487	$59,542	561
Religious organizations	85	8.5	1.53×More than typical	576	$25,536	—

Rank places for an industry Open Sevier County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 100,410 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $433.7K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Gatlinburg, Tennessee: $118 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $433.7K; −18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $118; US $1,995
Sole-source: 9.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Park Service$269K62%
Federal Highway Administration$157.5K36%
Forest Service$6,2331.4%
Federal Acquisition Service$8810.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2.2MFY2017
240.9KFY2018
297.3KFY2019
485.1KFY2020
245.6KFY2021
871.1KFY2022
375.1KFY2023
1.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$157.5K36%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$137.4K32%
Waste collection · 5621$36.2K8.4%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$31.2K7.2%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$20.9K4.8%
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying · 2123

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, so they do not add up across cities.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee's figures are part of those of Sevier County, TN ($11.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Gatlinburg is mostly in Sevier County.

See federal money in Sevier County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Diana HarshbargerR-TN-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Sevier County40100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Sevierville, TN40

Other cities and towns in Sevier County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4728800

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends