The Town Files

Rhea County, Tennessee

33,992 people. The median home is worth $206,000 (typical Tennessee town: $204,650) and the median household earns $55,033.

Towns in Rhea County

Towns in Rhea County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Dayton7,065$214,900$49,71940.3

People and housing

Rhea CountyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value$206,000$204,650
Median rent$839$863
Median household income$55,033$57,917
Median age42.040.8
Bachelor's degree or higher18.6%18.2%
Below the poverty line15.9%14.2%

Jobs and pay

11,990 jobs in 2024, average pay $57,168 a year.

Largest industries in Rhea CountyManufacturing3,734 jobs · $60,840Retail1,265 jobs · $29,640Hotels & restaurants918 jobs · $19,205Administrative & support700 jobs · $24,967Transportation & warehousing375 jobs · $47,405Finance & insurance190 jobs · $83,260
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Rhea County0%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023 4.5%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 330 storm events in Rhea County from 1996 to 2026, with 1 deaths.

Storm events in Rhea County by type since 1996Hail50Flood13Drought1Tornado3Ice Storm4Heavy Rain1Heavy Snow11Flash Flood21Strong Wind3Funnel Cloud2
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Rhea County has been included in 21 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4898: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3635: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2025Severe StormEM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 27, 2023Severe StormDR-4742: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado
May 17, 2023Severe StormDR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4514: Covid-19 Pandemic
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).