Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Mountain City’s best subject grades are an A− for history and a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Mountain City, above both the Tennessee town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 8 of Tennessee’s 291 towns score lower on incomes. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its National Register listings include Butler House and Long Meadow. Mountain City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mountain City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Butler HouseWhere Mountain City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Mountain City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 118 in 1850, 2,415 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mountain City, 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 Mountain City.
21% of adults report frequent physical distress in Mountain City, against 16% in Tennessee’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 32% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Mountain City. Mountain City beats the Tennessee average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Mountain City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 41% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Mountain City | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.8% | 14.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 76.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Johnson County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Johnson Co High School, with 563 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain City ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 428 | A− |
| Johnson Co High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 563 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
About one in 4 of Mountain City’s working residents works in town. The median household income in Mountain City is $39,000. Since 2013, Mountain City has lost 135 jobs, to 1,382 in 2023.
| Mountain City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mountain City’s median rent is $516 a month. The typical Mountain City home is worth about $234,000, up 2.3% in a year, 29% below the Tennessee typical home. 57% of Mountain City households own their home.
| Mountain City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $516 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 66% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Mountain City has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Of the 178 Tennessee towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Mountain City.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Ralph Stout Park, at 30 acres.
| Mountain City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ralph Stout Park | — | 30 |
| 2. Doe Mountain Recreation Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mountain City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mountain City. Close and well known come first.
21 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
25 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain
20 mi MountainMount Rogers22 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad
16 mi National forestCherokee National Forest
20 mi State parkGrayson Highlands State ParkBlue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Grandfather Mountain: Original uploader was KyleAndMelissa22 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Mount Rogers: USDA-FS, Public domain · Cherokee National Forest: Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grayson Highlands State Park: Ken Thomas, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mountain City
About 2 of every 100 Mountain City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
4 places in Mountain City on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Mountain City.
Town in Tennessee, United States
Mountain City is a town in and the county seat of Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2020 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevation of 2,418 feet (737 m), it has the distinction of being the highest incorporated city in the state.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Dave Loggins and Clyde Shoun.
