Watauga, TN housing market
The typical Watauga home is worth about $263,000, up 4.8% in a year, 21% below the Tennessee typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Watauga compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Watauga at a glance
Only 1 sale in April 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value above is the steadier guide.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Watauga | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $132,000 | $174,000 |
| 2018 | $139,000 | $187,000 |
| 2019 | $142,000 | $198,000 |
| 2020 | $158,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $167,000 | $238,000 |
| 2022 | $199,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $206,000 | $313,000 |
| 2024 | $232,000 | $326,000 |
| 2025 | $244,000 | $334,000 |
| 2026 | $254,000 | $333,000 |
| August 2026 | $263,000 | $334,000 |
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Watauga in 2025. Over the past 10 years, Watauga has permitted 10 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Watauga's population fell by 105 even though 5 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Tennessee: 2 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $296,000 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $174,000 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $87,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $62,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $85,000 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $472,000 |
| 2001 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $286,000 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Watauga and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga | $263K | +4.8% | $1,010 | 1 | $62,917 |
| Johnson City | $295K | +1.3% | $1,240 | 350 | $57,254 |
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Watauga is $1,010 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Watauga pay a median of $588, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Studio $810 · 4 bedrooms $1,410
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (37694; Johnson City, TN MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, April 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.