37853 ZIP Code — Rockford, TN

Blount County, Tennessee

ZIP code 37853 is located in Rockford, Tennessee, within Blount County. It covers approximately 16.75 square miles and serves a population of 3,401 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 865.

About ZIP code 37853

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 $231,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

Median household income is $63,427. 40% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 37853 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,401

population

16.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

37853 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 37853

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 37853. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rockford	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

37804 Maryville (2.8 mi) 37920 Knoxville (5.5 mi) 37701 Alcoa (5.5 mi) 37919 Knoxville (7.8 mi) 37916 Knoxville (8 mi) 37777 Louisville (8.2 mi) 37886 Walland (8.4 mi) 37996 Knoxville (8.4 mi) 37995 Knoxville (8.4 mi) 37997 Knoxville (8.4 mi) 37929 Knoxville (8.4 mi) 37902 Knoxville (8.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,401
Population density	203 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	16.75 sq mi
Water area	0.29 sq mi
Latitude	35.8403
Longitude	-83.9004
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	865

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.7%	41.8%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	34.1%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	19.9%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.7%	4.2%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

3,401

Population

203

People per sq mi

43.9

Median age

$63,427

Median household income

$31,348

Per capita income

$231,000

Median home value

$768

Median monthly rent

69.7%

Home ownership

17.0%

Poverty rate

3.0%

Unemployment

1,138

Housing units

17.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

151

15–19

141

20–24

167

25–34

156

297

35–44

276

230

45–54

215

128

55–59

119

138

60–64

128

257

65–74

240

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	496	14.6%
18 and over	2,905	85.4%
65 and over	713	21.0%
Median age	43.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.2%

Two or more races 6.6%

Black or African American 4.3%

Hispanic or Latino 3.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,007	85.2%
Two or more races	232	6.6%
Black or African American	150	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	127	3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.2%
Other race	6	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.7%	41.8%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	34.1%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	19.9%	18.3%
Over $200k	2.7%	4.2%	5.1%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 9.5%

$15k–$25k 5.4%

$25k–$35k 7.8%

$35k–$50k 9.3%

$50k–$75k 22.8%

$75k–$100k 14.2%

$100k–$150k 18.4%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	9.5%
$15k–$25k	5.4%
$25k–$35k	7.8%
$35k–$50k	9.3%
$50k–$75k	22.8%
$75k–$100k	14.2%
$100k–$150k	18.4%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$63,427

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.4%

$50k–$100k 15.3%

$100k–$150k 8.6%

$150k–$200k 8.5%

$200k–$300k 37.9%

$300k–$500k 16.8%

$500k–$1M 6.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$231,000
Median rent / month	$768
Owner occupied	69.7%
Renter occupied	30.3%
Vacant	12.2%
Single-family detached	71.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	20.0%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.64

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.6%
2000–2009	13.7%
1990–1999	23.9%
1980–1989	12.3%
1970–1979	18.2%
1960–1969	9.9%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	7.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	8.1%
2 bedrooms	32.7%
3 bedrooms	45.2%
4 bedrooms	12.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.1%
1 vehicle	24.3%
2 vehicles	28.0%
3 or more	40.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	18.9%
Electricity	74.9%
Propane / LP gas	4.9%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	674	49.5%
Cohabiting couple	24	1.8%
Male householder, no spouse	324	23.8%
Female householder, no spouse	340	25.0%
Households with children under 18	330	24.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	518	38.0%
Average household size	2.48

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.2%	26.6%
Married	49.0%	45.8%
Separated	1.2%	4.8%
Widowed	5.1%	10.2%
Divorced	17.5%	12.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 48.2%

Some college, no degree 15.8%

Associate's degree 8.5%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 5.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.6%
Bachelor's or higher	17.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	12	2.0%
Kindergarten	25	4.2%
Elementary school	204	34.0%
High school	208	34.7%
College / grad school	151	25.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.5%

Manufacturing 19.6%

Retail trade 14.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.8%

Construction 10.8%

Professional & management 6.0%

Other services 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 3.7%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Public administration 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.1%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	17.6%
Natural resources & construction	10.8%
Production & transportation	19.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.0%
Government	9.5%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.6%
Carpool	7.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.1%
Work from home	4.6%
Other means	0.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 17.0%

Under 18 years 22.8%

18 and over 16.0%

Married-couple families 7.3%

Female-led households 34.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.7%
Retirement income	28.2%
Supplemental Security	9.1%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.6%
High blood pressure	40.3%
High cholesterol	38.0%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	31.8%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	25.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.4%
Depression	26.7%
Fair or poor health	16.7%
Poor mental health	16.7%
Poor physical health	11.9%
No health insurance	15.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.7%
Visited dentist	58.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	222	7.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.5%
Under 18	0.4%
18–64 years	21.9%
65 and over	30.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.3%
Public insurance	38.4%
No insurance	12.2%
Uninsured under 19	22.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,349	98.5%
Spanish	56	1.7%
Other Indo-European	54	1.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,287	96.6%
Born in same state	3,263	95.9%
Born in different state	1,995	58.7%
Foreign born	24	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	114	3.4%
Not a US citizen	8	7.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	439	12.9%
French	396	11.6%
Italian	279	8.2%
English	13	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	12	0.4%
Irish	3	0.1%
Polish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.0%
Internet access	87.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 37853

What city is ZIP code 37853 in?

ZIP code 37853 is primarily assigned to Rockford, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 37853 in?

ZIP code 37853 falls within Blount County, Tennessee.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 37853?

17% of residents in ZIP code 37853 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 37853 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 37853 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 37853?

ZIP code 37853 has an estimated population of 3,401 residents, with a density of 203 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 37853?

The median household income in ZIP code 37853 is $63,427, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 37853 in?

ZIP code 37853 observes the EST timezone.