37879 ZIP Code — Tazewell, TN

Claiborne County, Tennessee

ZIP code 37879 is located in Tazewell, Tennessee, within Claiborne County. It covers approximately 175.24 square miles and serves a population of 11,459 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 423.

About ZIP code 37879

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $123,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $39,982. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (29%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 28%.

Overall, ZIP code 37879 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

11,459

population

175.24

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

37879 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 37879

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 37879. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tazewell	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

37752 Harrogate (6.3 mi) 37825 New Tazewell (10.2 mi) 37881 Thorn Hill (10.8 mi) 37724 Cumberland Gap (11.2 mi) 24248 Ewing (11.3 mi) 37888 Washburn (12.3 mi) 37869 Sneedville (13.2 mi) 37708 Bean Station (13.8 mi) 40965 Middlesboro (15.4 mi) 37861 Rutledge (15.6 mi) 24281 Rose Hill (15.8 mi) 40856 Miracle (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	11,459
Population density	65 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	175.24 sq mi
Water area	2.70 sq mi
Latitude	36.4710
Longitude	-83.5189
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	63.1%	62.5%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	27.5%	26.0%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	7.5%	8.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.7%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

11,459

Population

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$39,982

Median household income

$23,871

Per capita income

$123,500

Median home value

$721

Median monthly rent

75.8%

Home ownership

23.7%

Poverty rate

8.3%

Unemployment

4,180

Housing units

13.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

415

Under 5

428

374

5–9

386

427

10–14

439

205

15–19

212

183

20–24

189

732

25–34

754

713

35–44

735

771

45–54

794

373

55–59

384

382

60–64

394

594

65–74

611

331

75–84

341

144

85+

148

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,722	23.8%
18 and over	8,737	76.2%
65 and over	2,169	18.9%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97%

Two or more races 2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Black or African American 0.2%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,161	97%
Two or more races	234	2%
Hispanic or Latino	46	0.4%
Black or African American	28	0.2%
Asian	28	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.1%	62.5%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	27.5%	26.0%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	7.5%	8.8%	18.3%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.7%	5.1%

Under $10k 6.4%

$10k–$15k 10.1%

$15k–$25k 13.1%

$25k–$35k 14.4%

$35k–$50k 15.1%

$50k–$75k 16.2%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 7.2%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.4%
$10k–$15k	10.1%
$15k–$25k	13.1%
$25k–$35k	14.4%
$35k–$50k	15.1%
$50k–$75k	16.2%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	7.2%
$150k–$200k	2.8%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$39,982

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.9%

$50k–$100k 22.0%

$100k–$150k 19.4%

$150k–$200k 16.5%

$200k–$300k 14.3%

$300k–$500k 5.2%

$500k–$1M 4.7%

$1M+ 2.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$123,500
Median rent / month	$721
Owner occupied	75.8%
Renter occupied	24.2%
Vacant	9.8%
Single-family detached	67.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.6%
Mobile homes	25.6%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.2%
2000–2009	18.0%
1990–1999	17.2%
1980–1989	19.4%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	9.2%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	2.5%
1939 or earlier	5.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	5.9%
2 bedrooms	30.6%
3 bedrooms	49.8%
4 bedrooms	10.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.1%
1 vehicle	30.8%
2 vehicles	34.8%
3 or more	29.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.8%
Electricity	82.6%
Propane / LP gas	3.8%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	7.4%
No fuel used	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,248	46.6%
Cohabiting couple	349	7.2%
Male householder, no spouse	797	16.5%
Female householder, no spouse	1,428	29.6%
Households with children under 18	1,558	32.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,581	32.8%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.6%	12.8%
Married	55.0%	50.5%
Separated	0.1%	3.6%
Widowed	3.9%	17.7%
Divorced	15.5%	15.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.6%

Some HS, no diploma 12.7%

HS graduate 37.9%

Some college, no degree 15.9%

Associate's degree 10.4%

Bachelor's degree 7.0%

Graduate / professional 6.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	77.7%
Bachelor's or higher	13.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	134	5.2%
Kindergarten	223	8.7%
Elementary school	1,257	49.0%
High school	437	17.0%
College / grad school	514	20.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.8%

Manufacturing 24.2%

Transportation & utilities 10.2%

Construction 7.7%

Retail trade 7.3%

Finance & real estate 6.6%

Professional & management 4.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.1%

Other services 3.5%

Public administration 3.4%

Agriculture & mining 3.1%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.3%
Service	11.7%
Sales & office	15.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.7%
Production & transportation	31.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.7%
Government	16.0%
Self-employed	5.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.7%
Carpool	11.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	4.0%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.9

Poverty

All people 23.7%

Under 18 years 28.3%

18 and over 22.3%

Married-couple families 10.3%

Female-led households 41.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.4%
Retirement income	17.9%
Supplemental Security	12.9%
Cash public assistance	9.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.9%
High blood pressure	42.5%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	14.6%
Heart disease	9.0%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	34.1%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	12.4%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	29.0%
Binge drinking	13.6%
No physical activity	30.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.4%
Depression	29.2%
Fair or poor health	22.4%
Poor mental health	18.8%
Poor physical health	15.1%
No health insurance	18.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.8%
Visited dentist	48.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	23.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	527	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	27.8%
Under 18	15.8%
18–64 years	23.6%
65 and over	56.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.3%
Public insurance	47.0%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,616	92.6%
Spanish	9	0.1%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	9	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	11,431	99.8%
Born in same state	11,398	99.5%
Born in different state	5,901	51.5%
Foreign born	33	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	28	0.2%
Not a US citizen	9	32.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,554	13.6%
Italian	1,397	12.2%
French	1,003	8.8%
German	145	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	143	1.2%
Polish	114	1%
Dutch	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.1%
Internet access	83.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 37879

What city is ZIP code 37879 in?

ZIP code 37879 is primarily assigned to Tazewell, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 37879 in?

ZIP code 37879 falls within Claiborne County, Tennessee.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 37879?

24% of residents in ZIP code 37879 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 37879 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 37879 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 37879?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 37879?

The median home value in ZIP code 37879 is $123,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 37879 in?

ZIP code 37879 observes the EST timezone.