Piney River Gorge, 2007
Spring City’s story
148 years in pictures
Census counts: 598 in 1890, 1,949 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
- 1878Spring City is settled
Spring CityTN
A town of 1,989, settled in 1878.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,989
2025 Census estimate · +2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$277K
+5.7% in a year
Household income
$39K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Jobs based here
575
Balanced
Is Spring City a good place to live?
Spring City’s best subject grade is an A− for safety; its weakest is a D− for health. On safety, just 7 of Tennessee’s 155 towns do better. The median household income is $39K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 6 of the 178 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower median household income than Spring City. 11% of the land in Spring City is conserved, above both Tennessee’s towns (1.8%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). On the outdoors, just 17 of Tennessee’s 292 towns do better. Spring City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Spring City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Spring City stand out
Where Spring City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Spring City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Spring City is from typical.
HealthRhea Medical Center 12.7 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeDOpen →SafetyA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.1 of 20; 9.8% of households have no car; 3.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailB+Open →History4 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.8; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Spring City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Spring City, and how to reach them.
PowerVolunteer Electric Coop13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSpring City Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Spring City’s trash rules yet
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 hereRhea County Election CommissionRhea County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3738137381 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 Spring City.
HealthD−
Residents of Spring City are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
Spring City beats the Tennessee average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 48% of adults have high blood pressure in Spring City, above both the Tennessee town median (41%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Spring City.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Spring City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
3 better14 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Spring City | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.7% | 13.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 14.6% |
Rhea Medical Center
12.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
On state tests, Spring City’s schools beat 63% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Rhea County school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
63%of TN districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring City ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 613 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
SafetyA−
Spring City is safer than 81% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident
The property crime rate in Spring City is 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
81%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Spring City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Spring City1.5
Tennessee5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Spring City4.5
Tennessee16.6
U.S.15.5
81st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
9
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Spring City has mild winters and hot summers
Spring City has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 29° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–51°
Spring46–70°
Summer65–87°
Fall48–72°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Spring City
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Spring City.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
29
paid flood claims since 1990
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Spring City has 0.9 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Spring City for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Spring City has lost 95 jobs, to 575 in 2023. Spring City’s average trip to work is 28 minutes.
7%work in town
| Spring City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.4% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Spring City7%
Dayton26%
Chattanooga12%
Nashville5%
Athens3%
22 mi
median commute distance
575
jobs based in Spring City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Spring City is valued at about $277K
The typical Spring City home is worth about $277,000, up 5.7% in a year, 16% below the Tennessee typical home.
$277KZillow home value
| Spring City | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $781 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 66% | 73% |
Typical home value
Spring City$277K
Tennessee$331K
+5.7%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10.8%conserved
10.8%
conserved · 193 of 1,789 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Natures Park | 0.1 mi | 31 |
| 2. Holloway Park | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Spring City
20pages on Spring City
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 63% of TN districts · 2 schoolsSafetyA−1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than TN on 3 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$277K typical home · up 5.7% in a yearWork & commuteD$39K median household income · 575 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 66% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Spring City; the nearest are
Bryan College-DaytonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Dayton15.1 mi$19,800 tuitionRoane State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harriman19.2 mi$4,998 in-state tuitionTennessee Technological UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Cookeville49.2 mi$11,376 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Spring City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Famous people from Spring City
4 notable people were born in Spring City.
About Spring City
Town in Tennessee, United States
Spring City is a town in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,949 at the 2020 census and 1,981 at the 2010 census. The town is located along Watts Bar Lake, and Watts Bar Dam and the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station are nearby.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
- ZIP code
- 37381
- Area code
- 423
Questions about Spring City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Spring City, TN expensive?
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($55,033 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
What is Spring City, TN known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Thomas T. Handy and David Douglas.