ZIP Code 37303 — Athens city, TN Demographics & Data

ZIP code 37303 covers Athens, TN in McMinn County with a population of about 25,226.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.1 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 423; U.S. House district TN-3; the CHATTANOOGA media market.

Athens, TN sits in a university / college context (near tcat athens (0.8 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 37303 is about $60,874 — about 19% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.8%; unemployment rate near 4.6%; 20.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 12.8 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Retail trade, and Healthcare; about 4.3% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.9 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $196,800 — about 43% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $651 (about 44% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 68.5% (about 3.1 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 37303 in Athens, TN, a household would need roughly $54,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,264. That sits below the local median household income ($60,874), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Athens city, TN as Relatively Low (composite score 60.2), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (62.6) and hurricane (50.4). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Athens city, TN show little to no average snow and around 60.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 895 for ZIP 37303 (Athens city, TN) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.