Embree House · National Register of Historic Places
Telford’s story
148 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1878Telford is settled
TelfordTN
This town of 731 people was settled in 1878.
Washington College Historic District · Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0
Population
731
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$312K
+3.2% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
54.3
years
Jobs based here
25
A commuter town
Settled
1878
148 years ago
Is Telford a good place to live?
Telford’s age of the median resident is 54.3 years, above both the Tennessee town median (40 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). DeVault Tavern and Thomas Telford House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Telford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
731 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Telford.
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very low risk in Telford, mostly inland flooding
14risk score of 100
Only 10 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower FEMA hazard score than Telford. 61% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by strong winds at 9%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Telford’s workers commute out
0%work in town
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Telford dropped by 86, to 25. The average trip to work for Telford is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Johnson City (26%), Jonesborough (11%) and Greeneville (10%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
| Telford | Typical Tennessee town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Telford0%
Johnson City26%
Jonesborough11%
Greeneville10%
Kingsport8%
13 mi
median commute distance
25
jobs based in Telford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Telford brings four seasons and pleasant summers
5″snow a winter
July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 28° and about 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–50°
Spring44–70°
Summer63–86°
Fall46–71°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Telford is
In Telford, 76% of adults had a checkup this year. Among 177 Tennessee towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Telford.
| Telford | Typical Tennessee town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 29% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
3 better28 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Telford | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.8% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.7% | 9.1% |
Johnson City Medical Center
9.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Telford home at about $312K
$312KZillow home value
Typical home values rose 3.2% in the year to September 2026. 82% of households own their home in Telford.
Typical home value
Telford$312K
Tennessee$331K
+3.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Telford
15pages on Telford
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Mount Mitchell and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Telford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi MountainMount Mitchell
37 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year10 mi Park & preserveGray Fossil Site
40 mi Ancient siteUnited States Penitentiary38 mi Theme parkLand of Oz
39 mi National forestCherokee National ForestSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · United States Penitentiary: Nyttend, Public domain · Cherokee National Forest: Ryan Rice at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Telford: who provides what
Telford is unincorporated, so Washington County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJohnson City13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterJonesborough Water Dept1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWashington CountyWashington 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 hereWashington County Election CommissionWashington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3769037690 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.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Telford for work
Where Telford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
25jobs based in Telford
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Telford
East Tennessee State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Johnson City10.6 mi$10,472 in-state tuitionTusculum UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Greeneville13.1 mi$29,250 tuitionMilligan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Milligan14.5 mi$40,450 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Telford residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Questions about Telford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Telford, TN a good place to live?
Telford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Telford is in here
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