Johnson City, TN Metro Area
The Johnson City, TN metro area is made up of 3 counties in Tennessee: Washington, Carter, and Unicoi, largest first. About 216,416 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 4.4% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 216,416 4.4% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 2 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 854 sq mi (2,212 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- State
- Tennessee
- Combined statistical area
- Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
- CBSA code
- 27740
Counties in the Johnson City, TN metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | Central | 141,199 | 65.2% |
| Carter County | Central | 57,361 | 26.5% |
| Unicoi County | Outlying | 17,856 | 8.3% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Johnson City72,222 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 2 areas in this one, largest first:
- Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area314,834 people
- Greeneville, TN Micro Area73,831 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area15 mi northwest
- Greeneville, TN Micro Area27 mi southwest
- Asheville, NC Metro Area54 mi south
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.