The Town FilesPlainview, Tennessee
City in Union County · population 2,060 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $168,500
- Household income
- $63,965
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 41.9
Plainview is a city of 2,060 people in Union County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $168,500, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 79% of Tennessee towns, more of a college town than 71% of Tennessee towns.
How Plainview 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Plainview is worth $168,500, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $63,965, which is more affordable than 86% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $869 a month. 75.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Plainview | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,500 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $869 | $863 |
| Median household income | $63,965 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 75.0% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Plainview
| People | Plainview | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.8% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.2% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.7% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 4.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.0% | — |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 81.5% | 88.2% |
Weather in Plainview
July highs average 85.1°F and January lows 25.2°F. About 57.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.4 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 17 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainview since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 13, 2013 about 9.7 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 21 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 13, 2013.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 7, 1999.
Severe weather in Union County since 1996
Union County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 2, 2020 | Biological | DR-4514: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3473: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Union County
Union County had 2,931 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,737 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Plainview itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Plainview
4 public schools with 2,807 students, about 16.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbs High School | 9-12 | 1,047 | 15.0 |
| Gibbs Elementary | PK-5 | 951 | 17.6 |
| Gibbs Middle School | 6-8 | 614 | 18.1 |
| Corryton Elementary | K-5 | 195 | 13.9 |
Towns near Plainview
- Luttrell, TN3.2 mi · 1,017 people · home $154,000
- Maynardville, TN4.6 mi · 2,456 people · home $205,400
- Blaine, TN6.0 mi · 2,084 people · home $297,400
- Mascot, TN7.9 mi · 2,760 people · home $206,000
- John Sevier, TN10.0 mi · 1,026 people · home $144,200
- Halls, TN10.4 mi · 10,341 people · home $321,300
- Strawberry Plains, TN11.5 mi · 2,405 people · home $168,400
- Andersonville, TN13.4 mi · 508 people · home $340,400
Plainview questions
Is Plainview, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plainview scores better for retirees than 24% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 69%. 14.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).
How much does a house cost in Plainview?
The median owner-occupied home in Plainview is valued at $168,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,965, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $869 a month.
What is the weather like in Plainview?
July highs average 85.1°F and January lows 25.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 57.7 inches of precipitation a year and 4.4 inches of snow.
Does Plainview get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainview since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 13, 2013. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)