Town · Hancock County, Tennessee

Sneedville, Tennessee

Sneedville is a town in Hancock County, Tennessee. It has 1,364 residents. Sneedville, Tennessee has a quality-of-life score of 6 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,773 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Tennessee it ranks #294 of 305 cities and towns. It ranks best on preventable hospital stays (low), distance to an emergency room (low) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on depression (high), average weekly wage (low) and flu vaccinations (low).

6Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,773 of 15,651 cities and towns
Tennessee: #294 of 305 in TN
Population: 1,364 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 593.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 4769460

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety56#6,871/15,637
Economy1#15,548/15,631
Housing50#7,490/14,977
Health0#15,591/15,609
Healthcare17#12,996/15,650
Environment57#6,581/15,453
Education12#13,756/15,649
Infrastructure1#15,441/15,650
Community1#15,479/15,651
Leisure & amenities2#15,311/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sneedville, Tennessee ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hancock 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

Preventable hospital stays · low1,164 /100k
99/100Tennessee 2,914 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHancock County value
Distance to an emergency room · low2.5 mi
98/100Tennessee 6.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHancock County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low104 min
95/100Tennessee 168 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHancock County value
Pharmacies · high2.8 /10k
95/100Tennessee 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHancock County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Tennessee 7.1 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHancock County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.41%
93/100Tennessee 0.52%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Depression · high35.7%
0/100Tennessee 29.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Average weekly wage · low$708
0/100Tennessee $1,354United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHancock County value
Flu vaccinations · low13.0%
0/100Tennessee 44.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHancock County value
Frequent mental distress · high26.5%
0/100Tennessee 22.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Access to exercise opportunities · low1.7%
0/100Tennessee 67.9%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHancock County value
Adult smoking · high32.2%
0/100Tennessee 21.0%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,486 (2015-2019) → 1,364 (2020-2024)
−8.2%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
30.1% (2015-2019) → 79.4% (2020-2024)
+49 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.0× (2015-2019) → 6.2× (2020-2024)
+109%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
31.1% (2015-2019) → 48.4% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
42.9% (2015-2019) → 59.3% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
9.0% (2015-2019) → 22.6% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Sneedville, Tennessee improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined3

Child poverty+49 points30.1% → 79.4%
Poverty+17 points31.1% → 48.4%
Uninsured+14 points9.0% → 22.6%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Sneedville, Tennessee between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.0 min2015-2019	29.6 min2020-2024	+8.6 min	Within the margin of error	3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.3%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	60.9%2015-2019	72.0%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Child poverty rate	30.1%2015-2019	79.4%2020-2024	+49 points	Declined	0%
Effective property tax rate	0.64%2015-2019	0.41%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	64%
High school diploma or higher	82.2%2015-2019	78.1%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.6752015-2019	0.4982020-2024	−0.177	Within the margin of error	99%
Median household income	$26,8882015-2019	$24,5002020-2024	−8.9%	Within the margin of error	3%
Poverty rate	31.1%2015-2019	48.4%2020-2024	+17 points	Declined	1%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	27.4%2015-2019	36.8%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent-burdened households	42.9%2015-2019	59.3%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.0%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	+14 points	Declined	1%

“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 Sneedville, Tennessee five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sneedville, 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, Sneedville, Tennessee itself moved −15.5 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,364 residents (±222)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

558 households (±100)

Sneedville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $25k50%281
$25k–50k25%†139
$50k–75k15%†85

Homes

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

Owners and renters

558 households (±100)

Sneedville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Own37%†206
Rent63%352

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

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

337 workers (±94)

Sneedville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Drive alone86%†291
Carpool5.9%†20
Public transit

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 Hancock County, the county holding most of Sneedville's residents.

Hancock County has 55 employer establishments, 78.9 for every 10,000 residents (0.32× the US rate of 248; 0.38× Tennessee's), with 453 paid employees at an average annual pay of $34,790. The Census Bureau also counts 423 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 55; 423 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 78.9; US 248 · Tennessee 210
Paid employees: 453
Average annual pay: $34,790; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	4	5.7	0.28×Too few to compare	38	$52,000	32
Lessors of real estate	4	5.7	0.47×Too few to compare	10	$19,300	17
Gasoline stations	3	4.3	1.33×Too few to compare	19	$16,263	—
Restaurants and other eating places	3	4.3	0.23×Too few to compare	38	$16,211	—
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	6
Advertising, public relations and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	3
Architectural, engineering and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	10
Banks and credit unions	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Barber shops	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—

Rank places for an industry Open Hancock County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 6,974 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Sneedville, Tennessee: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

488.8FY2017
370.2FY2019
364.6FY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 Sneedville, Tennessee, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Hancock 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.

Sneedville, 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.

Hancock County1100% of residents

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/4769460

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends