Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Erwin gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $223K for a typical one, or 3.9 years of the Johnson City metro’s $58K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 41st of 175 in Tennessee. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. On walkability, just 16 of Tennessee’s 292 towns do better. Erwin has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them A.R. Brown House and Clinchfield Depot. Among 174 Tennessee towns, just 3 have a lower median rent than Erwin.
Where Erwin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Erwin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,149 in 1910, 6,083 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1894 and 3 maps from 1935 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Erwin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Erwin.
Erwin carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Tennessee (mostly inland flooding), fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Against the 4,827 U.S. towns with household incomes like Erwin’s, it is less healthy than 73%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Tennessee it is less healthy than 70% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
18% of Erwin adults report frequent physical distress, above both Tennessee’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (14%). 45% of adults have high blood pressure in Erwin. Erwin beats the Tennessee average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
| Erwin | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Erwin | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.7% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Unicoi County school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Unicoi Co High School, with 609 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicoi Co Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 432 | B− |
| Unicoi Co High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 609 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 97% of Tennessee towns, with expected losses of about $118 per resident a year; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
At 10 of 100, Erwin’s FEMA risk score is below both the Tennessee town median (47 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Erwin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Erwin home is worth about $223,000, up 3.8% in a year, 33% below the Tennessee typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 26.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 95% of Tennessee places with climate records; July afternoons average 85.2°.
Erwin has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 177 Tennessee towns, just 3 have a lower January low than Erwin. The July high in Erwin is 85°F.
| Erwin | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 85°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 29°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Erwin’s working residents works in town. Erwin’s median household income is $47,000. Jobs based in Erwin fell to 3,268 in 2023, 500 fewer than in 2013.
| Erwin | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 14% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 15.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 78% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Fishery Park, at 21 acres.
| Erwin | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fishery Park | — | 21 |
| 2. Veterans Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Erwin. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi MountainMount Mitchell
26 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
34 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain17 mi Park & preserveGray Fossil Site30 mi Theme parkLand of Oz
30 mi National forestCherokee National ForestMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Grandfather Mountain: Original uploader was KyleAndMelissa22 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Cherokee National Forest: Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Erwin
About 4 of every 100 Erwin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
2 places in Erwin on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Tennessee, United States
Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,083 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnson City metropolitan area, which is a component of the "Tri-Cities" region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Erwin.
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erwin | #41 | B− | A− | B | B− | D |
| Banner Hill | — | — | A | — | B− | D− |
Banner Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Banner Hill reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Erwin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Erwin grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #41 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
