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Grainger County, TN: population growth, jobs and income

Grainger County gained 641 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+2.6%).

Grainger County had an estimated 25,739 residents in 2025, up 9.2% (2,167 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Tennessee as a whole (+5.6%), and the 15th fastest growth of 95 counties in Tennessee.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Grainger County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Grainger County, ranked against Tennessee and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$746/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes18.4%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months692025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
See every page of a sample report

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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 742 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 2,812 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.1% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.6% in 2025, 0.2 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 65 new homes in 2025, or 2.5 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $50,538 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +13.1% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 239th.

Part of the Knoxville, TN metro area.

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Grainger County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202525,739+641
202425,098+385
202324,713+505
202224,208+414
202123,794+222
202023,572–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Grainger County

Grainger County grew by 2,167 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+2,690).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−92−580
International migrationfrom and to other countries−2+28
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+742+2,690
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−7+29
Total change+641+2,167

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn TennesseeAmong U.S. counties
Population growth15th of 95239th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents3rd of 9534th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth37th of 95867th of 3,092
Median household income79th of 952,715th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate32nd of 951,092nd of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents53rd of 941,303rd of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Grainger County, TN as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Grainger County's population change (+9.2%) was ahead of 6 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 1 (Jefferson County).

5 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Grainger County's $50,538 (2020–24).

Grainger County, TN and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Grainger County, TN This county25,739+9.2%28.82.5$50,538
Jefferson County, TN60,024+9.3%17.45.5$66,114
Claiborne County, TN33,229+3.6%13.42.9$49,379
Hamblen County, TN68,843+6.6%9.03.7$55,454
Union County, TN21,450+8.1%17.97.2$62,727
Hancock County, TN7,075+6.7%11.30.3$34,960
Knox County, TN511,453+6.4%4.69.8$74,222
Hawkins County, TN59,559+5.0%8.12.4$56,936

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 95 Tennessee counties · Every state

Questions

Is Grainger County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 9.2% between 2020 and 2025, about 2,167 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Tennessee as a whole changed +5.6% over the same years. That ranks 15th of 95 counties in Tennessee for population growth.

How many people moved to Grainger County?

On net, about 742 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Grainger County?

It averaged 3.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Grainger County?

About 25,739 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Grainger County?

Private employers there had 2,812 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.1% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Tennessee

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Tennessee county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Grainger County data alerts

Email me when Grainger County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Grainger County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.