HousingPermits

Metro area in Tennessee · part of the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN combined area

Morristown, TN

The Morristown metro area authorized 589 new housing units in 2025. Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes supplied 8.6% of its units in 2021–2025, the highest share among the 10 metro areas based in Tennessee. The housing bust cut annual permits by 82%, from 747 at the 2004–2006 high to 134 in 2011, the third-deepest drop among the 31 metro areas based in the East South Central states.

02505007501,0002004: 706 units (628 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 747 units (675 single-family, 60 in 2–4 unit, 12 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 684 units (673 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 726 units (705 single-family, 15 in 2–4 unit, 6 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 339 units (301 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 217 units (207 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 204 units (197 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 134 units (126 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 8 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 167 units (142 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 171 units (163 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 151 units (141 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 188 units (186 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 236 units (220 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 268 units (252 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 302 units (286 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 397 units (393 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 482 units (406 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 68 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 911 units (827 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 72 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 900 units (799 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 764 units (617 single-family, 115 in 2–4 unit, 32 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 552 units (459 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 589 units (544 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252021 high · 9112011 low · 13404008001,2002004: 706 units (628 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 54 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 747 units (675 single-family, 60 in 2–4 unit, 12 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 684 units (673 single-family, 11 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 726 units (705 single-family, 15 in 2–4 unit, 6 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 339 units (301 single-family, 38 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 217 units (207 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 204 units (197 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 134 units (126 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 8 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 167 units (142 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 171 units (163 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 151 units (141 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 188 units (186 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 236 units (220 single-family, 2 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 268 units (252 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 302 units (286 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 397 units (393 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 482 units (406 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 68 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 911 units (827 single-family, 12 in 2–4 unit, 72 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 900 units (799 single-family, 101 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 764 units (617 single-family, 115 in 2–4 unit, 32 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 552 units (459 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 589 units (544 single-family, 45 in 2–4 unit, 0 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252021 high · 911

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

In Morristown, 87% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 4.1% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Eagle Pass (4.2% in five-plus buildings).

2021–202587.4%87%8.6%9%4.1%2004–200692.5%92%4.4%3.1%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202587.4%87%8.6%4.1%2004–200692.5%92%4.4%3.1%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 7 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Morristown, with 1,411 units or 38% of the total, followed by Jefferson County (unincorporated) with 1,256.

  • Morristown38% (1,411 units)
  • Jefferson County (unincorporated)34% (1,256 units)
  • Jefferson City10% (384 units)
  • Hamblen County (unincorporated)9.1% (337 units)
  • Dandridge town7.9% (294 units)
  • Baneberry0.5% (19 units)
  • New Market town0.4% (15 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Where in the metro

Jefferson County accounted for 53% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Hamblen County for 47%.

  • Jefferson County53% (331 in 2025)
  • Hamblen County47% (258 in 2025)

The wider Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville region

The Census Bureau groups Morristown with one neighboring metro area in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 7,193 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Morristown accounted for 10%. The other, with its yearly average: Knoxville (6,450).

Relative to population

With 128,867 residents in July 2025, Morristown authorized 6.0 units per 1,000 residents a year in 2021–2025, 1.3 times the national 4.7. The metro areas with the nearest rates are Portland, ME (6.0) and Columbus, OH (6.0).

Boom, bust and since

Morristown authorized the most units in 2021 (911); 2025 reached 65% of that. Its peak year is shared by 27 other metro areas, among them Bozeman, Missoula, Napa. The 2021–2025 pace of 743 units a year is 4.3% above the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 7 years in a row up to 2021. From 2024 to 2025 the count rose 6.7%.

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Johnstown, PA610.50%
Morristown, TN5896.04.1%
Bozeman, MT1,54415.739%
Missoula, MT8898.259%
Elizabethtown, KY4917.345%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Morristown beside Johnstown

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: Tennessee. Counting rules.