CentralTN
A town of 1,938.
Is Central a good place to live?
Central’s weakest subject grade is a D− for walkability. Central’s median age is 55.8 years, above both Tennessee’s towns (40 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 15 of Tennessee’s 292 towns score lower on walkability. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Central has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
99% of working residents leave Central for work
Where Central’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How Central grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Central is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Central: who provides what
Central is unincorporated, so Carter County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Central.
Central stands out in Tennessee and nationally, with more of its adults who report frequent physical distress
20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Central, above both the Tennessee town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Central. Central beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
| Central | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 41% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Central | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.6% | 8.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.7% | 14.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.4% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Central’s schools rank behind 88% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Carter County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 267 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Compared with most of Tennessee and the rest of the country, fewer of Central’s working residents work locally
0.6% of Central working residents work locally. The top destinations are Johnson City (40%), Elizabethton (13%) and Kingsport (6%). Central’s average trip to work is 19 minutes.
| Central | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 12% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 14% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Central has four seasons and pleasant summers
Central has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Central
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Central.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes in Central sell for about $275K
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Central
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Central
About 2 of every 100 Central residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Central’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Central.
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | — | — | B | — | D | D− |
| Elizabethton | #55 | B− | A− | C | A | D |
| Johnson City | #104 | C− | C− | C− | A | C |
Central has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Central reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Central with a neighbor →
Questions about Central
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Central, TN expensive?
The typical home is worth about $152,000, 54% below the Tennessee typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.