Athens is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, home to about 14,471 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP code is 37303.
Homes sold for a median of $173 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Athens. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)42 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA117 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL471 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Athens; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Athens had 14,084 residents in the 2020 census, up 7% since 2000.
It’s the 43rd largest of 502 towns in Tennessee by population.
McMinn County grew from 19,163 residents in 1900 to 53,276 in 2020.
McMinn County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 28°F. About 60.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 4 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Athens, TN weather station (2 miles away).
17,156 jobs at 935 businesses in McMinn County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
271 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Athens.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 24 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 23 |
| Dentists | 17 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 71 |
| Mental health providers | 52 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 66 |
| Optometrists | 12 |
| Chiropractors | 6 |
| Pharmacies | 12 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1822.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Athens, McMinn County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens City PrimaryAthens | Pre-K–2 | 657 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| E K Baker ElementaryAthens | Pre-K–8 | 307 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Rogers Creek ElementaryAthens | Pre-K–8 | 277 | Public | 7.9 mi |
| Athens City IntermediateAthens | 3–5 | 572 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Athens City Middle SchoolAthens | 6–8 | 519 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| McMinn High SchoolAthens | 9–12 | 1,272 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Christian AcademyAthens | Pre-K–12 | 94 | Baptist | 2.5 mi |
| Christ's Legacy AcademyAthens | K–12 | 114 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.9 mi |
| Liberty Christian SchoolAthens | K–12 | 28 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 4.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.