Johnson City grades C− overall, 104th of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 93% of Tennessee towns and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its crime rate is higher than 84% of U.S. towns, with 307 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 44% of working residents work locally in Johnson City, against 12% in Tennessee’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Rocky Mount and Tipton-Haynes House. Only 20 of Tennessee’s 292 towns score lower on cost of living.

StrongestASchools AHazard riskWeakestC⁻Safety C⁻Cost of living CHealth CJobs & income

What makes Johnson City stand out

Where Johnson City beats most towns.

Mountain Branch, National Home For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

History

Settled in 1856

A history going back 170 years.

Johnson City schools

School	Grades	Students
Lake Ridge Elementary	K–5	632
Woodland Elementary	PK–5	537
Fairmont Elementary	PK–5	530

SchoolsA

#13 of the 176 Tennessee towns we grade for schools

NCES · EDFacts.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here50,749

Residents who work26,986

Work

1.9 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 92% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Mountain Branch, National Home For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers · National Register of Historic Places

Johnson City’s story

170 years in pictures

Mountain Branch, National Home For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.

Census counts: 685 in 1880, 71,046 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1804 and 5 maps from 1935 on.

22 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1856Johnson City is settled

Explore the history →

How Johnson City grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Johnson City is from typical.

How grading works

SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 10% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →SafetyC⁻Open →Cost of livingC⁻Open →HealthFranklin Woods Community Hospital 1.3 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$57K median household incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 7.3% of households have no car; 2.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors4% conserved landB⁻Open →HistoryBOpen →Civic life3.4 library visits per resident; 2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market50 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.4; 42% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Johnson City: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Johnson City, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerJohnson City13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterJohnson City Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site

SchoolsJohnson City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereWashington County Election CommissionWashington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes37604, 37601, 37615, 3761437604 48% · 37601 36% · 37615 8% · 37614 6%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 Johnson City.

Johnson City carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Tennessee (mostly inland flooding), draws workers from Kingsport and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.

OutdoorsB⁻

Conserved land covers 3.8% of Johnson City

30 miles of trail in 21 parks and preserves. The trail density in Johnson City is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Winged Deer Park, 255 acres with 6.9 miles of trail.

#17for trails in TN

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.7 miles per square mile	0.2	0.4
Conserved land	3.8%	1.7%	4.3%

3.8%

conserved · 1,057 of 28,101 acres

30 mi

of trails · 0.7 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Winged Deer Park	6.9 mi	255
2. Civitan Park	1.6 mi	32
3. Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek	1.3 mi	30

Full pageJohnson City’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map30 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk6.9 miles of trail · Winged Deer Park Conserved land3.8% conserved · 1,057 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Johnson City?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsA

Johnson City earns an A for schools

Its public schools are run by the Johnson City school district. Three of its 22 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

93%of TN districts it outscoresASchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Liberty Bell Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	987	A⁻
Science Hill High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	2,359	A
Towne Acres ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5	Grades K–5	390	A⁺

Full pageJohnson City’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsJohnson City Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 6 graded neighbors Every school22 schools · Lake Ridge Elementary Questions“Are Johnson City’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

About one in two working residents works right in Johnson City

50,749 jobs are based in Johnson City, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.7 minutes, against 25.7 across Tennessee.

20% of residents live below the poverty line in Johnson City. Since 2013, Johnson City has added 7,052 jobs, to 50,749 in 2023. Johnson City’s average trip to work is 19 minutes.

44%work in town

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	20%	14%	9.6%
Average trip to work	19 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$57,000	$61,000	$80,000
Work from home	13%	9.5%	11%

Where working residents work

In Johnson City44%

Kingsport10%

Oak Grove4%

Elizabethton3%

Jonesborough3%

7 mi

median commute distance

50,749

jobs based in Johnson City

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

B+

Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns

Full pageJohnson City’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here50,749 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work44% work in Johnson City Commute times19 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 7 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A

Very low risk in Johnson City, with inland flooding at the top

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 97% of Tennessee towns, with expected losses of about $128 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on. 78 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 13 properties have flooded more than once.

Since 1979, 78 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Johnson City. Only 6 of the 176 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower FEMA risk score than Johnson City.

10risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingEarthquakesStrong wind

paid flood claims since 1979

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageJohnson City’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims78 paid flood claims · Since 1979 Past disasters5 federal disasters · Paid out in Johnson City Get ready1.1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SafetyC⁻

Johnson City earns a C− for safety

Reported crimes fell from 2,345 to 1,884 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

Johnson City reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less.

16%of U.S. towns report more crimeC⁻Safety Grade

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	21.2 per 1,000 residents	11.5	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	4.1 per 1,000 residents	2.6	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Johnson City4.1

Tennessee5

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Johnson City21.2

Tennessee16.6

U.S.15.5

16th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

27th

percentile among TN towns

307

violent crimes reported in 2025

1,577

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageJohnson City’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type4.1 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Johnson City, TN safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthC

Health in Johnson City trails 73% of U.S. towns

Against the 8,104 U.S. towns with household incomes like Johnson City’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Tennessee it is healthier than 59% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.

Johnson City beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 32% of Johnson City adults have been diagnosed with depression.

27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)	32%	29%	23%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	21%	20%	17%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	77%	78%	79%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	17%	19%	14%

31 measures vs. Tennessee

0 better29 too close to call2 worse

What stands out	Johnson City	TN
More adults without reliable transportation	10.1%	8.9%
Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked	83.7%	86.6%

Franklin Woods Community Hospital

1.3 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental

59th

percentile among TN towns

Full pageJohnson City’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearby1.3 miles to an ER · Franklin Woods Community Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in frequent mental distress Every CDC estimateBetter than TN on 0 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Johnson City

January nights average 27.2°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 89% of Tennessee places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.7°.

Johnson City has chilly winters and warm summers. About 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.

9″snow a winter

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
July high	87°F	89°F	85°F
January low	27°F	29°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter29–50°

Spring44–69°

Summer63–86°

Fall46–70°

Oct 24

typical first frost

Apr 16

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageJohnson City’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 27°Rain & snow9″ of snow a winter · 46 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade C⁻

Johnson City’s typical home value is about $293K

The typical Johnson City home is worth about $293,000, up 1.4% in a year, 11% below the Tennessee typical home.

$293KZillow home value

	Johnson City	Tennessee towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	51%	66%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	50%	45%	48%
Median rent	$1,023 a month	$944 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Johnson City$293K

Tennessee$331K

Market temperature

days on market

98.2%

sale-to-list price

+1.4%

value change, 1 year

102

homes sold in May

Full pageJohnson City’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.4% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 5.1 years of income Rents$1,023 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 6 graded neighbors

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Blue Ridge Parkway and 12 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Johnson City. Close and well known come first.

All 28 attractions →

35 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year

36 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain 7 mi Park & preserveGray Fossil Site

19 mi National forestCherokee National Forest 30 mi Theme parkLand of Oz

40 mi Park & preserveLinville Gorge Wilderness

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

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 · Linville Gorge Wilderness: No machine-readable author provided. Amcbride~commonswiki assumed (based on copy, Public domain

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Johnson City

19pages on Johnson City

The big questions

SchoolsABeat 93% of TN districts · 22 schools SafetyC⁻4.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than TN on 0 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁻$293K typical home · up 1.4% in a year Work & commuteC$57K median household income · 50,749 jobs here Natural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 10% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁻30 mi of trails · 4% conserved land PlacesAttractions28 nearby · Gray Fossil Site 7 mi LibraryC3.4 library visits per resident CollegesEast Tennessee State University, in town

The story

HistoryBSettled 1856 · 22 on the National Register Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 33 residents Climate87° summer highs · 9″ of snow

Day to day

News2 recent stories about Johnson City WeatherHandbookZIP code 37601, 37602, 37604 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

3 within 15 miles of the center of Johnson City

East Tennessee State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Johnson CityIn town$10,472 in-state tuition Milligan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Milligan5.6 mi$40,450 tuition Northeast State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Blountville10 mi$4,782 in-state tuition

About 14 of every 100 Johnson City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

14% of Johnson City is in college

East Tennessee State University10,770 students on campus

Admission: 86%
Net price: $15,983
Graduate: 53%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

22 places in Johnson City on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Mountain Branch, National Home For Disabled Volunteer SoldiersNational Historic Landmark

Rocky Mount

Tipton-Haynes House

Dungan's Mill and Stone House

About Johnson City

City in Tennessee, United States

Official town website ↗

Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. Located in an Appalachian valley near the Boone Lake impoundment of the Watauga River, Johnson City is Tennessee's eighth-most populous city, with a population of 71,046 as of the 2020 Census. Johnson City is the largest city of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Tri-Cities (Tennessee-Virginia) region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, which contains Kingsport, Tennessee and Bristol, Tennessee and had a population of 585,041 at the 2020 Census. Johnson City is the nearest city to the first permanent European-American settlem…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1856
Area: 43 sq mi
Elevation: 1,634 ft
ZIP code: 37601, 37602, 37604
Area code: 423

Johnson City’s neighbors

7 towns share a border with Johnson City.

Explore the map →

All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Oak Grove (C+) is closest. Spurgeon next door grades lower for schools (B to Johnson City’s A) and higher for cost of living (B− to C−).

How the neighbors grade

Town	TN rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Johnson City	#104	C⁻	C⁻	C⁻	A	C
Gray	—	—	B⁺	—	A⁻	B⁻
Pine Crest	—	—	A	—	D	D
Oak Grove	#62	C⁺	B⁻	—	A⁻	B⁻
Spurgeon	#53	B⁻	B⁻	—	B	B⁻
Central	—	—	B	—	D	D⁻
Watauga	—	—	—	—	—	—
Elizabethton	#55	B⁻	A⁻	C	A	D

Gray, Pine Crest and Central have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Gray, Pine Crest, Oak Grove, Spurgeon and Central report no FBI crime data of their own. Watauga isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Johnson City with a neighbor →

Questions about Johnson City

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Johnson City, TN a good place to live?

Johnson City grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #104 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades C for health, C− for safety and A for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Johnson City, TN expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.

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