The Town Files

Cosby, Tennessee

Community in Cocke County · population 807 (2020 Census)

Map: where Cosby is in TennesseeCosby
Household income
$91,563
Jan low / Jul high
29° / 86°
Snow a year
6 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
34.3

Cosby is a community of 807 people in Cocke County, Tennessee. It ranks better for retirees than 98% of Tennessee towns, quieter than 95% of Tennessee towns, better transit than 76% of Tennessee towns.

Cosby in our rankings:

How Cosby ranks

Percentile among Tennessee towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Tennessee towns.

Cosby lifestyle rankings vs other Tennessee townsRetirement98th pctFamilies45th pctQuiet95th pctWalkability10th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals22nd pctVibrancy13th pctHip & trendy31st pctCollege town14th pctUpscale40th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit76th pctDriving54th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

86.1% of households own their home.

Cosby vs Cocke County vs typical Tennessee townCosbyCocke CountyTypical Tennessee townHousehold income$91,563$48,016$57,917
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Tennessee towns with 500+ people.
HousingCosbyTypical Tennessee town
Median home value—$204,650
Median rent—$863
Median household income$91,563$57,917
Home value ÷ income—×3.7×
Homeownership86.1%69.7%
Median year built19931980
Seasonal / vacation homes5.8%—

Who lives in Cosby

PeopleCosbyTypical Tennessee town
Median age34.340.8
Age 65 and over18.9%18.4%
Under 1815.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher27.0%18.2%
Below the poverty line12.3%14.2%
Veterans4.1%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home8.4%8.2%
Average commute52.6 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband85.1%88.2%

Weather in Cosby

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 29.1°F. About 53.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.6 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 78 nights at or below freezing.

Cosby monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing49°29°Jan53°32°Feb61°38°Mar71°46°Apr77°54°May83°62°Jun86°65°Jul85°64°Aug80°59°Sep70°48°Oct60°37°Nov51°32°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.21.93.91.34.71.54.54.66.46.54.64.02.73.40.14.40.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Waterville 2 station (8.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cosby since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 13, 2013 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 13, 2013.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Cosby by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s02000s52010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 26, 2024.

Severe weather in Cocke County since 1996

Storm events in Cocke County since 1996 by typeHail32Flood18Drought2Tornado3High Wind42Ice Storm7Heavy Snow68Flash Flood31
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cocke County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Cocke County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

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
October 2, 2024Tropical StormDR-4832: Tropical Storm Helene
September 27, 2024Tropical StormEM-3620: Tropical Storm Helene

Jobs and pay in Cocke County

Cocke County had 7,903 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,422 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Cosby itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

Largest industries in Cocke CountyRetail1,450 jobs · $31,780Manufacturing1,163 jobs · $64,875Hotels & restaurants1,017 jobs · $21,660Construction250 jobs · $53,622Arts & recreation182 jobs · $20,431Finance & insurance144 jobs · $68,973
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cocke County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cocke 4.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Cosby

4 public schools with 1,070 students, about 13.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Cosby ElementaryK-843717.5
Cosby High School9-1234713.3
Smoky Mountain ElementaryPK-818714.4
Jones Cove ElementaryPK-6997.6

Towns near Cosby

Cosby questions

Is Cosby, Tennessee a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cosby scores better for retirees than 98% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 95%. 18.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.3).

What is the weather like in Cosby?

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 29.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.9 inches of precipitation a year and 5.6 inches of snow.

Does Cosby get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cosby since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 13, 2013. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Cosby's Census boundary (GEOID 4717300). Comparisons use the median of Tennessee towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.