Carter County land: flood and parcels
32,020 parcels
On the county tax roll
- Acres on the roll213,370
- In a FEMA flood zone12%special flood hazard area
Free account: 25 parcel cards a day on the map, with sale history, road access and elevation. Get started free
No zoning layer for Carter County yet. Zoning here is set town by town.
Around Carter County
Parcels to start with
Towns in Carter County
- Elizabethton6,122 parcels
- Central1,117 parcels
- Valley Forge1,088 parcels
- Hampton1,074 parcels
- Pine Crest1,043 parcels
- Hunter1,031 parcels
- Biltmore922 parcels
- Roan Mountain845 parcels
All 9 places
- Watauga203 parcels
Flood zones and wetlands
Recorded flood claims in Carter County
288 insured flood claims were recorded in Carter County from 1978 to Sep 2026; 13% were on buildings rated outside the mapped flood zone (zone X, B or C). The largest single event was Hurricane Helene (2024), with 84 claims. FEMA paid $5.2 million on them in total.
| Years | Claims |
|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Fewer than 10 |
| 1980–89 | Not shown |
| 1990–99 | 114 |
| 2000–09 | 26 |
| 2010–19 | 41 |
| 2020–26 | 93 |
Area statistics for buildings with NFIP flood insurance, not any one parcel: a lot that never had an insured building has no claims to count. OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, as of Sep 2026.
What flood insurance costs in Carter County
What NFIP policyholders in Carter County pay a year for a single-family home, by flood zone: the middle half of premiums on policies that took effect Sep 2025–Sep 2026. It is what insured homes here pay, not a quote for any one building.
| Flood zone | Policies | Middle half | Full-risk median |
|---|---|---|---|
| A zones (special flood hazard area) | 186 | $750–$1,730 | $1,460 |
| X zone (outside the mapped flood zone) | 35 | $500–$930 | $820 |
Full-risk premium: the median of FEMA's own full-risk premium for the same policies (Risk Rating 2.0). A discounted policy rises toward it a step each year, within the law's cap on yearly increases. Zones are the flood zone each policy is rated in. OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3, as of Sep 2026.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data.
Farmland rent in Carter County
Cropland in Carter County rents for about $35 an acre a year (USDA, 2026).
- Cropland rent
- $35 an acrenon-irrigated, 2026; $40 in 2022
- Pasture rent
- $21 an acre2026; $15.50 in 2022
No rent-to-price figure for Tennessee yet.
Rent: USDA NASS county cash rents survey, 2026 (released August 21, 2026), public domain. Farmland rent in every Tennessee county →
People and new homes in Carter County
- Population57,361July 2025 estimate, +1.7% since 2020
- Median household income$50,1352020–2024 average, ±$3,158
- New homes permitted1902025, 178 single-family; 180 in 2021
- Permitted so far in 2026120Jan–Aug, against 122 a year earlier
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 (May 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year (B19013) (Jan 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (Sep 2026).
Land in Carter County by useLand use on the county roll
| Land class | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Building on record | 23,328 | 73% |
| Other or not coded | 5,321 | 17% |
| Farm and timber | 1,933 | 6% |
| Institutional | 1,438 | 4.5% |
1,933 farm and timber parcels cover 73,336 acres. County tax roll 2026 (pulled Oct 2026); land class read from the roll's land-use and building fields.
Typical lot sizeThe typical lot, from the roll
The median parcel in Carter County is 0.69 acre (32,020 parcels with a size).
Acres from the county roll, or from the parcel's own outline where the roll's figure is off by more than three times. Condominium units that share one point (each carrying the whole complex's acres) are left out of the lot sizes.
Land parcels in Carter CountyFarm and timber parcels to start with
- 31.5 acres of farm and timber land
- 29.9 acres of farm and timber land
- 29.6 acres of farm and timber land
- 250 Old Hwy 143 28.6 acres
- 144 R J Ln 27.9 acres
- 27.3 acres of farm and timber land
- 25.9 acres of farm and timber land
- 107 Meredith Valley Ln 25.4 acres
- 162 Whispering Pine Rd 25.3 acres
Farm and timber parcels of an acre or more, each with its own page of public roll facts.
Questions about Carter County landAnswers from the public records
How many parcels are in Carter County, TN?
32,020 parcels on the 2026 Carter County tax roll (pulled Oct 2026), covering 213,370 acres.
How much vacant land is in Carter County, TN?
Carter County's vacant-land class has not been through our aerial check yet, so we don't call any parcel here vacant land.
What is the typical lot size in Carter County?
The median parcel is 0.69 acre, from 32,020 parcels with a recorded size.
How much of Carter County is in a flood zone?
12% of parcels are in a FEMA special flood hazard area (National Flood Hazard Layer, as of Sep 2026). Check each parcel's own flood line before you buy.
Are there wetlands in Carter County?
1.5% of parcels are a quarter or more wetland on the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory, a mapping guide, not a legal delineation.
Are there land prices for Carter County?
No land prices for Carter County yet. Area prices print only where Tennessee's own price test passed for the county, and it has not for Carter County.
How many people live in Carter County?
About 57,361 (Census estimate for July 1, 2025), +1.7% since 2020.
How many new homes are being built in Carter County?
Building permits authorized 190 new housing units in 2025 and 120 from January to Aug 2026 (against 122 a year earlier) (Census Building Permits Survey).
Where does this data come from?
Parcels: County assessor and GIS parcel files (Davidson, Hamilton, Williamson, Wilson, Robertson). Flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory. Towns: U.S. Census places. Every figure is counted from those files on our map.
About these numbersSources, dates and how these figures are built
What Groundwork can price in Carter County
Facts only: no price estimate on any parcel here.
Sources
Parcels: County assessor and GIS parcel files (Davidson, Hamilton, Williamson, Wilson, Robertson) (2026 roll, pulled Oct 2026); flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (as of Sep 2026); wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (as of Oct 2026); sales: the county's own file, through Sep 2026; counted on our map built Oct 2026.