Carter County, Tennessee
County seat: Elizabethton · Population 57,361 (2025) · 341 sq mi
Carter County is the 31st most populous of Tennessee's 95 counties, with 57,361 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Elizabethton. It is part of the East Tennessee region, one of the 3 Grand Divisions of Tennessee. The map shows its 3 cities and towns and the 6 neighboring counties.
Carter County facts
- County seat
- Elizabethton
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 57,361 +1.8% since 2020
- Land area
- 341 sq mi 64th largest of 95
- Water area
- 6 sq mi
- Population density
- 168 per sq mi
- Established
- 1796
- Same name
- One of 5 Carter Counties in the US
- Named after
- Landon Carter (1760-1800)
- Largest city
- Elizabethton 14,350
- Median household income
- $50,135
- Cities and towns
- 3 plus 8 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 8
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 47019
Cities and towns in Carter County
Carter County has 3 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside Carter County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethton (county seat) | City | 14,350 | |
| Johnson City | City | 1,374 | Sullivan and Washington counties |
| Watauga | City | 364 | Washington County |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge | 2,136 | |
| Pine Crest | 2,029 | |
| Central | 1,938 | |
| Hunter | 1,918 | |
| Hampton | 1,883 | |
| Biltmore | 1,846 | |
| Roan Mountain | 797 | |
| Butler | 7 | Johnson County |
ZIP codes in Carter County
8 ZIP codes reach into Carter County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 37601 also Washington and Unicoi counties
- 37604 also Washington County
- 37640 also Johnson County
- 37643 also Unicoi County
- 37658 also Unicoi County
- 37682
- 37687
- 37694 also Sullivan and Washington counties
Population of Carter County, 2020–2025
Carter County grew by 996 people (+1.8%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 2,359 more deaths than births and a net gain of 3,237 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 56,391 |
| 2021 | 56,128 |
| 2022 | 56,528 |
| 2023 | 57,047 |
| 2024 | 57,368 |
| 2025 | 57,361 |
Neighboring counties
- Johnson County northeast · 18,718 people
- Sullivan County northwest · 163,759 people
- Avery County, North Carolina southeast · 18,110 people
- Unicoi County southwest · 17,856 people
- Mitchell County, North Carolina south · 15,062 people
- Washington County west · 141,199 people
Printable Carter County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (111 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (112 KB)
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Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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