How many people live in Sullivan County, TN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 162,700 people living in Sullivan County, TN. That makes Sullivan County the 10th-most populous county in Tennessee. It is home to 2.2% of people living in the state.
163K
population of Sullivan County, TN (2024)
2.2%
County share of the Tennessee population (2024)
About 162,700 people lived in Sullivan County, TN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Sullivan County, TN’s age demographics?
About 36,900 Sullivan County, TN residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 22.7% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.7% of Tennessee’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 30,500 Sullivan County residents, or 18.8% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22% of Tennessee’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Sullivan County, TN's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Sullivan County, TN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 91.6% of the Sullivan County, TN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Sullivan County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 2.4% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Sullivan County, TN has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Tennessee as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Sullivan County, TN is Kingsport with about 54,200 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Sullivan County, TN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kingsport (pt.) | 54,243 |
| 2. | Bristol | 27,867 |
| 3. | Bluff City | 1,838 |
| 4. | Johnson City (pt.) | 864 |
| 5. | Balance of Sullivan County | 77,891 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
