37686 ZIP Code — Piney Flats, TN

Sullivan County, Tennessee

ZIP code 37686 is located in Piney Flats, Tennessee, within Sullivan County. It covers approximately 29.50 square miles and serves a population of 8,848 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 423.

About ZIP code 37686

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $235,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($82,242) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 37686 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,848

population

29.50

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

37686 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 37686

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 37686. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Piney Flats	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

37699 Piney Flats (2.8 mi) 37694 Watauga (5.7 mi) 37617 Blountville (6.1 mi) 37615 Johnson City (6.9 mi) 37663 Kingsport (7.7 mi) 37618 Bluff City (8.2 mi) 37601 Johnson City (8.5 mi) 37604 Johnson City (9.1 mi) 37664 Kingsport (9.9 mi) 37660 Kingsport (12.5 mi) 37659 Jonesborough (13 mi) 37643 Elizabethton (13.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,848
Population density	300 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	163

Geography
Land area	29.50 sq mi
Water area	3.89 sq mi
Latitude	36.4428
Longitude	-82.3459
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	423

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.4%	51.9%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	29.9%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	29.3%	14.6%	18.3%
Over $200k	7.9%	3.5%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

8,848

Population

300

People per sq mi

45.3

Median age

$82,242

Median household income

$43,285

Per capita income

$235,500

Median home value

$1,074

Median monthly rent

78.6%

Home ownership

5.6%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

2,840

Housing units

31.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

134

Under 5

127

5–9

385

10–14

364

280

15–19

264

470

20–24

443

366

25–34

345

511

35–44

483

824

45–54

778

257

55–59

242

348

60–64

328

579

65–74

547

254

75–84

240

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,548	17.5%
18 and over	7,300	82.5%
65 and over	1,711	19.3%
Median age	45.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.3%

Asian 3%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 0.5%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	8,387	94.3%
Asian	269	3%
Two or more races	172	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	45	0.5%
Other race	17	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.4%	51.9%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	29.9%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	29.3%	14.6%	18.3%
Over $200k	7.9%	3.5%	5.1%

Under $10k 2.8%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 5.3%

$25k–$35k 6.4%

$35k–$50k 11.0%

$50k–$75k 14.2%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 9.9%

$200k+ 16.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.8%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	5.3%
$25k–$35k	6.4%
$35k–$50k	11.0%
$50k–$75k	14.2%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	17.8%
$150k–$200k	9.9%
$200k+	16.6%
Median income	$82,242

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.1%

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 15.7%

$200k–$300k 20.0%

$300k–$500k 23.1%

$500k–$1M 13.9%

$1M+ 2.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$235,500
Median rent / month	$1,074
Owner occupied	78.6%
Renter occupied	21.4%
Vacant	8.0%
Single-family detached	76.0%
Large apartment buildings	2.0%
Mobile homes	10.5%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.90

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.3%
2010–2019	20.3%
2000–2009	21.1%
1990–1999	27.1%
1980–1989	5.8%
1970–1979	10.6%
1960–1969	4.7%
1950–1959	3.2%
1940–1949	2.0%
1939 or earlier	2.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.3%
2 bedrooms	21.5%
3 bedrooms	51.2%
4 bedrooms	16.4%
5+ bedrooms	7.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.0%
1 vehicle	18.4%
2 vehicles	33.0%
3 or more	47.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.7%
Electricity	87.2%
Propane / LP gas	4.2%
Wood	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,195	67.5%
Cohabiting couple	106	3.3%
Male householder, no spouse	482	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	470	14.4%
Households with children under 18	844	25.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,142	35.1%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.2%	25.3%
Married	58.6%	60.7%
Separated	2.4%	2.0%
Widowed	1.7%	3.8%
Divorced	10.1%	8.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.2%

Some HS, no diploma 4.7%

HS graduate 26.7%

Some college, no degree 21.4%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 20.7%

Graduate / professional 10.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.2%
Bachelor's or higher	31.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	82	4.5%
Kindergarten	10	0.6%
Elementary school	668	37.0%
High school	432	24.0%
College / grad school	611	33.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.4%

Retail trade 18.1%

Manufacturing 15.4%

Professional & management 10.8%

Finance & real estate 6.6%

Construction 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.6%

Other services 3.9%

Wholesale trade 1.9%

Public administration 1.3%

Information 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.5%
Service	12.0%
Sales & office	21.7%
Natural resources & construction	4.6%
Production & transportation	17.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.8%
Government	8.1%
Self-employed	10.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.9%
Carpool	2.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	6.0%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 5.6%

Under 18 years 3.9%

18 and over 6.0%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 10.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.5%
Retirement income	28.6%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.5%
High blood pressure	38.2%
High cholesterol	42.0%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	31.1%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	14.5%
No physical activity	22.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.5%
Depression	26.3%
Fair or poor health	15.1%
Poor mental health	16.3%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	14.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	59.6%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	16.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	577	7.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.6%
Under 18	5.0%
18–64 years	18.7%
65 and over	25.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.2%
Public insurance	39.9%
No insurance	9.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,587	97.1%
Spanish	3	0.0%
Other Indo-European	3	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,718	98.5%
Born in same state	8,718	98.5%
Born in different state	4,816	54.4%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	130	1.5%
Not a US citizen	86	66.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,609	18.2%
French	1,105	12.5%
Arab	933	10.5%
English	610	6.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	88	1%
Dutch	61	0.7%
Polish	41	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.8%
Internet access	92.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 37686

What city is ZIP code 37686 in?

ZIP code 37686 is primarily assigned to Piney Flats, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 37686 in?

ZIP code 37686 falls within Sullivan County, Tennessee.

Does ZIP code 37686 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 37686 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 37686?

ZIP code 37686 has an estimated population of 8,848 residents, with a density of 300 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 37686?

The median household income in ZIP code 37686 is $82,242, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 37686?

The median home value in ZIP code 37686 is $235,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 37686 in?

ZIP code 37686 observes the EST timezone.