37694 ZIP Code — Watauga, TN

Carter County, Tennessee

ZIP code 37694 is located in Watauga, Tennessee, within Carter County. It covers approximately 12.64 square miles and serves a population of 2,069 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 423.

About ZIP code 37694

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $146,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($56,375) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (30%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 37694 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,069

population

12.64

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

37694 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 37694

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 37694. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Watauga	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

37699 Piney Flats (3 mi) 37601 Johnson City (5.3 mi) 37686 Piney Flats (5.7 mi) 37618 Bluff City (7.1 mi) 37604 Johnson City (7.6 mi) 37643 Elizabethton (8.8 mi) 37615 Johnson City (9.8 mi) 37658 Hampton (10.7 mi) 37617 Blountville (11.6 mi) 37663 Kingsport (12.8 mi) 37659 Jonesborough (12.9 mi) 37692 Unicoi (13.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,069
Population density	164 / sq mi
State FIPS	47
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	12.64 sq mi
Water area	0.13 sq mi
Latitude	36.3829
Longitude	-82.2752
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	47.8%	57.1%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	27.3%	28.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	11.8%	12.4%	18.3%
Over $200k	13.2%	2.0%	5.1%

Demographics & statistics

2,069

Population

164

People per sq mi

48.7

Median age

$56,375

Median household income

$40,674

Per capita income

$146,900

Median home value

$751

Median monthly rent

88.8%

Home ownership

17.8%

Poverty rate

11.6%

Unemployment

893

Housing units

22.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

195

35–44

180

165

45–54

152

116

55–59

107

60–64

141

65–74

130

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	335	16.2%
18 and over	1,734	83.8%
65 and over	422	20.4%
Median age	48.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.6%

Two or more races 4.3%

Hispanic or Latino 3.9%

Black or African American 2%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,928	89.6%
Two or more races	93	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	83	3.9%
Black or African American	42	2%
Other race	6	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.8%	57.1%	45.7%
$50k – $100k	27.3%	28.5%	30.9%
$100k – $200k	11.8%	12.4%	18.3%
Over $200k	13.2%	2.0%	5.1%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 6.3%

$15k–$25k 13.9%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 6.6%

$50k–$75k 20.9%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 19.7%

$150k–$200k 1.0%

$200k+ 11.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	6.3%
$15k–$25k	13.9%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	6.6%
$50k–$75k	20.9%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	19.7%
$150k–$200k	1.0%
$200k+	11.6%
Median income	$56,375

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.7%

$50k–$100k 16.0%

$100k–$150k 24.9%

$150k–$200k 9.1%

$200k–$300k 14.8%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 12.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$146,900
Median rent / month	$751
Owner occupied	88.8%
Renter occupied	11.2%
Vacant	12.3%
Single-family detached	76.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	18.4%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.24

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.9%
2000–2009	18.2%
1990–1999	16.9%
1980–1989	9.1%
1970–1979	18.1%
1960–1969	3.7%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	7.6%
1939 or earlier	12.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	3.4%
2 bedrooms	18.3%
3 bedrooms	48.9%
4 bedrooms	26.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.4%
1 vehicle	16.1%
2 vehicles	48.8%
3 or more	27.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	75.8%
Propane / LP gas	11.1%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	12.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	455	52.4%
Cohabiting couple	94	10.8%
Male householder, no spouse	147	16.9%
Female householder, no spouse	172	19.8%
Households with children under 18	256	29.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	305	35.1%
Average household size	2.38

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.9%	22.1%
Married	54.7%	44.5%
Separated	0.8%	3.2%
Widowed	2.0%	8.9%
Divorced	17.7%	21.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.5%

Some HS, no diploma 6.0%

HS graduate 40.5%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 7.4%

Graduate / professional 14.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.4%
Bachelor's or higher	22.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	4	1.2%
Kindergarten	23	6.8%
Elementary school	159	46.9%
High school	88	26.0%
College / grad school	65	19.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 21.5%

Manufacturing 21.1%

Education & healthcare 19.5%

Construction 10.3%

Retail trade 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.9%

Other services 4.1%

Finance & real estate 2.7%

Public administration 2.7%

Information 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.2%
Service	15.9%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.6%
Production & transportation	18.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.8%
Government	13.4%
Self-employed	8.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.7%
Carpool	2.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	6.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.8

Poverty

All people 17.8%

Under 18 years 23.7%

18 and over 16.7%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 41.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.0%
Retirement income	26.4%
Supplemental Security	6.9%
Cash public assistance	3.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	43.4%
High cholesterol	38.8%
Diabetes	15.1%
Heart disease	9.1%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	34.4%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	12.8%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	30.0%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	32.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.8%
Depression	29.2%
Fair or poor health	23.2%
Poor mental health	18.9%
Poor physical health	15.7%
No health insurance	19.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.7%
Visited dentist	46.1%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	24.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	197	11.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.9%
Under 18	14.0%
18–64 years	17.8%
65 and over	46.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.7%
Public insurance	43.9%
No insurance	14.6%
Uninsured under 19	5.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,990	96.2%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,001	96.7%
Born in same state	1,983	95.8%
Born in different state	1,138	55.0%
Foreign born	18	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	68	3.3%
Not a US citizen	66	97.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	466	22.5%
Italian	313	15.1%
French	250	12.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	17	0.8%
Polish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.0%
Internet access	85.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 37694

What city is ZIP code 37694 in?

ZIP code 37694 is primarily assigned to Watauga, Tennessee.

What county is ZIP code 37694 in?

ZIP code 37694 falls within Carter County, Tennessee.

Is ZIP code 37694 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 37694 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 37694 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 37694 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 37694?

18% of residents in ZIP code 37694 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 37694 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 37694 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 37694 in?

ZIP code 37694 observes the EST timezone.