Iron-City-2nd-Street-tn1, 2016
Iron City’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 3 maps from 1936 on.
- 1887Iron City is incorporated
Iron CityTN
This town of 282 people was incorporated in 1887.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
282
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$197K
+3.6% in a year
Median age
33.2
years
Jobs based here
27
A commuter town
Is Iron City a good place to live?
47% of residents live below the poverty line in Iron City, where Tennessee’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Iron City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
282 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Iron City: who provides what
Iron City is unincorporated, so Lawrence County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCity of Lawrenceburg13.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIron City Utility DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLawrence CountyLawrence County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLawrence County Election CommissionLawrence County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3846338463 100%Census 2020
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 Iron City.
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Iron City home at about $197K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.6%. The share of households in Iron City who are owner-occupiers: 81%.
$197KZillow home value
Typical home value
Iron City$197K
Tennessee$331K
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Iron City has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Lawrenceburg (19%), Loretto (11%) and Florence (10%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Iron City dropped by 23, to 27.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Iron City0%
Lawrenceburg19%
Loretto11%
Florence10%
Nashville8%
23 mi
median commute distance
27
jobs based in Iron City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Iron City faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA puts 47% of Iron City’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 24% to tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Iron City after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
72risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Iron City brings mild winters and hot summers
Iron City’s typical July afternoon high stands at 90°F.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring47–72°
Summer65–88°
Fall48–73°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Tennessee and the rest of the country, more of Iron City’s adults have been diagnosed with depression
Among adults 18 to 64 in Iron City, 15% have no health insurance. Only 5 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Iron City. Nearly a quarter of adults in Iron City report frequent mental distress; 23% smoke cigarettes.
| Iron City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 29% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
0 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Iron City | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.7% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 8.6% |
| More smokers | 23.3% | 17.3% |
North Alabama Medical Center
15.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Iron City
16pages on Iron City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Iron City
About 0 of every 100 Iron City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Iron City for work
Where Iron City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
27jobs based in Iron City
0%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Iron City
Census-designated place in Tennessee, United States
Iron City is a census-designated place and former city in Lawrence County, Tennessee. Iron City was incorporated as a city from 1887 to 1901, and again from 1962 until 2010, when its residents voted to disincorporate. The United States Census treated Iron City as a census-designated place for both the 2010 and 2020 censuses. The population was 328 in 2010 and 274 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 564 ft
- ZIP code
- 38463
- Area code
- 931
Questions about Iron City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Iron City, TN a good place to live?
Iron City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.