Housing data for Watauga, TN
Watauga, TN has an estimated 644 residents and 299 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Carter County.
5.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $588 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 644 (±222)
- Housing units
- 299 (±107)
- Households that rent
- 5.4%
- Median gross rent
- $588
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +56.7%
What stands out in Watauga
Households that rent: 5.4% (±4.5 points) in Watauga, lower than in Carter County (24.8%).
Median gross rent: $588 (±$91) in Watauga, lower than in Carter County ($739).
Average commute: 18.9 minutes (±2.7) in Watauga, lower than in Carter County (24.3 minutes).
Housing in Watauga at a glance
- Median rent: $588 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 23.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 5.4% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $62,917 median household income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $156,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,094 median monthly cost with a mortgage (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Property taxes: $855 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 87.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 46.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 57.9% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.9 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +56.7% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 20.9% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 3.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Watauga against Carter County, its state and the nation
| Watauga | Carter County | Tennessee | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 644 (±222) | 56,712 (exact) | 7,066,383 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 299 (±107) | 28,118 (±85) | 3,143,670 (±903) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 5.4% (±4.5 points) | 24.8% (±2.2 points) | 33.1% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $588 (±$91) | $739 (±$29) | $1,189 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $62,917 (±$40,026) | $50,135 (±$3,158) | $69,595 (±$429) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $156,900 (±$32,252) | $168,200 (±$4,365) | $286,700 (±$1,492) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $855 (±$419) | $864 (±$29) | $1,442 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 46.2% (±18.3 points) | 54.6% (±2.9 points) | 40.7% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.9 minutes (±2.7) | 24.3 minutes (±1.0) | 25.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±7.4 points) | 83.7% (±1.7 points) | 89.2% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 43.0 years (±16.5) | 45.9 years (±0.3) | 38.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watauga covers 0.9 square miles of land, about 738 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watauga has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 411 (±120) | 644 (±222) | +56.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 183 (±30) | 299 (±107) | +63.4% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $760 (±$365) | $588 (±$91) | −22.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $88,300 (±$16,665) | $156,900 (±$32,252) | +77.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $32,321 (±$14,784) | $62,917 (±$40,026) | +94.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $743 (±$31) | $1,094 (±$644) | +47.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $639 (±$65) | $855 (±$419) | +33.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 21.1% (±9.3 points) | 5.4% (±4.5 points) | −15.7 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 22.2% (±27.9 points) | 0.0% (±90.1 points) | −22.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Places near Watauga
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 2.4 mi | $952 | $151,800 | 23.6% |
| Elizabethton | 3.6 mi | $740 | $172,900 | 37.4% |
| Biltmore | 3.9 mi | $781 | $125,300 | 36.7% |
| Johnson City | 5.3 mi | $1,023 | $268,200 | 48.7% |
| Pine Crest | 5.3 mi | $700 | $196,600 | 28.3% |
| Bluff City | 6.4 mi | $931 | $157,400 | 37.7% |
| Valley Forge | 7.0 mi | $699 | $158,100 | 10.5% |
| Hunter | 8.2 mi | $756 | $169,500 | 11.2% |
Places in Tennessee most like Watauga
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crab Orchard | $750 | $164,700 | $60,216 | 10.0% |
| Michie | $596 | $166,500 | $60,714 | 13.7% |
| Valley Forge | $699 | $158,100 | $54,631 | 10.5% |
| Mount Carmel | $643 | $179,600 | $68,866 | 8.6% |
| New Hope | $775 | $179,600 | $77,727 | 10.3% |
| Hunter | $756 | $169,500 | $51,815 | 11.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Tennessee.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Watauga, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $942 | $948 | $1,211 | $1,461 | $1,609 |
HUD income limits for Watauga, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,950 | $28,250 | $45,150 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $32,300 | $51,600 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $36,300 | $58,050 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $40,300 | $64,500 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $43,550 | $69,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $46,750 | $74,850 |
| 7 people | $50,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| 8 people | $53,200 | $53,200 | $85,150 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Johnson City, TN MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $76,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Watauga
What is the average home value in Watauga, TN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $156,900 (±$32,252) for owner-occupied homes in Watauga (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How much are property taxes in Watauga?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Watauga, TN is $855 (±$419) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Watauga?
Watauga, TN has an estimated 299 (±107) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How old are most homes in Watauga?
46.2% of homes in Watauga, TN were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common way to heat a home in Watauga?
Electricity is the most common heating fuel in Watauga, used by 57.9% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How long is the average commute in Watauga?
Workers who live in Watauga, TN take an average of 18.9 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Watauga growing?
In Watauga, the number of residents went from 411 in 2015–2019 to 644 in 2020–2024 (+56.7%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watauga city, Tennessee
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Johnson City, TN MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Johnson City, TN MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Watauga city, Tennessee (place:78240, in state:47).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .