Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The National Register of Historic Places lists 3 places here.
No town among the 178 in Tennessee we compare has a lower typical July afternoon high than Roan Mountain. Roan Mountain’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, against 0.2 in Tennessee’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include John T. Wilder House and Shelving Rock Encampment. Roan Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Roan Mountain beats most towns.
1,360 counted in 2010 and 1,078 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2015.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Roan Mountain 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Roan Mountain.
For working residents in Roan Mountain, the share who work locally is 3.6%. Jobs based in Roan Mountain grew to 133 in 2023, 40 more than in 2013. The middle household income in the town is $56,000. The top destinations are Johnson City (14%), Elizabethton (12%) and Kingsport (5%).
| Roan Mountain | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.7% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Public schools: the Carter County school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudland Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 262 | B− |
| Cloudland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 236 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
The share of households in Roan Mountain who are owner-occupiers: 93%. Values rose 1.6% in the 12 months to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expect July afternoons of 81° and January nights of 25°, with about 48 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For Roan Mountain, the risk rating from FEMA is 65 of 100. 77% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 7%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Roan Mountain once, in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Just over a fifth of adults smoke cigarettes in Roan Mountain. The town does better than the Tennessee average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 13. Among adults in the town, 32% have been diagnosed with depression and 46% have high blood pressure.
| Roan Mountain | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 29% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Roan Mountain | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 13.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 9.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.3% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is Roan Mountain State Park, at 139 acres. Across 2 parks and preserves: 13 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roan Mountain State Park | 0.9 mi | 139 |
| 2. Cherokee National Forest | 0.2 mi | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Roan Mountain. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi MountainMount Mitchell
15 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
15 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain24 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad11 mi Theme parkLand of Oz
21 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 Roan Mountain
About 1 of every 100 Roan Mountain residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
CDP in Tennessee, United States
Roan Mountain is a census-designated place (CDP) in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the Tri-Cities region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Roan Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. The National Register of Historic Places lists 3 places here.
