Gatlinburg, Tennessee

thumb|285px|Heavy snowfall in the Smoky Mountains

thumb|right|285px|Snowy Ober Trails

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there was a population of 3,577, with 1,551 households and 1,012 families residing in the city.

The median age was 47.8 years. 17.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males age 18 and over.

There were 1,551 households in Gatlinburg, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.4% were married-couple households, 22.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 2,809 || 78.5%

| Black or African American || 15 || 0.4%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 20 || 0.6%

| Asian || 72 || 2.0%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 4 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 395 || 11.0%

| Two or more races || 262 || 7.3%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 635 || 17.8%

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, the median income for a household in Gatlinburg was estimated at $36,445, with an estimated median family income of $42,903. For individuals who were employed full-time, males had a median income of $30,159 versus $24,528 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,423, and 15% of the population and 5.8% of families had income levels below the poverty line. 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 years and older were living below the poverty line.

As of July 1, 2017, the 2017 estimated population of Gatlinburg had increased to 4,163.

Economy

Tourism

thumb|right|Shops in Gatlinburg

thumb|right|Ober Gatlinburg aerial tramway

As the gateway community for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg is an important tourist destination in Tennessee, with many man-made attractions. The Gatlinburg Trolley, a privately funded public transit system, caters to area tourists. The Gatlinburg SkyLift takes visitors up to the top of Crockett Mountain, to the longest footbridge in the US which spans two mountains.

Ober Mountain is the only ski resort in the state. It has eight ski trails, three chair lifts, and a wildlife encounter area and is accessible by road or aerial tramway. Originally known as Ober Gatlinburg, it was rebranded following its purchase in 2022 by local entrepreneur Joe Baker.

Gatlinburg Space Needle provides views of the Smoky Mountains.

The Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community is an loop located on the north side of town that focuses on preserving traditional mountain crafts.

The Ripley's group of attractions includes Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and a number of themed exhibits.

Theme parks Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country—both named for Dolly Parton—are located in nearby Pigeon Forge.

Museums include the Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers.

Gatlinburg has numbered intersections in the core of the town. The numbers hang from traffic lights or signs and are written on official tourist maps.

During the Christmas season, the downtown area is decorated with lights for a "Winterfest Celebration", with a trolley service and shuttle bus available.

thumb|An aerial view of Downtown Gatlinburg in July 2023

Because of the ease of obtaining a marriage license in Tennessee, Gatlinburg is a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons.

Convention Center

The Gatlinburg Convention Center has over of exhibit space.

The Convention Center hosts the annual week-long Gatlinburg Regional, the largest non-National bridge tournament in the U.S., which attracts over 3,000 players.

Law enforcement agencies

The Gatlinburg Police Department is the primary law enforcement organization serving Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the United States. The department has a staff of 45 officers and 10 support personnel. The department maintains a large force size for a small town primarily due to the large volume of tourists that pass through the area annually. Mike Werner has served as the mayor of Gatlinburg for 15 years.

Education

Sevier County School District is the sole school district in the county.

Schools include:

Gatlinburg-Pittman High School
Gatlinburg-Pittman Junior High School
Pi Beta Phi Elementary School
Pittman Center Elementary School

Notable people

Felice and Boudleaux Bryant: Songwriting duo, who lived in Gatlinburg from 1978 onward, where they wrote numerous songs such as Rocky Top. They lived in the Gatlinburg Inn, and afterwards in The Bryant House which still hosts a museum with their belongings.
Travis Meadows (born 1965): A country music singer and songwriter who has written songs for stars like Eric Church, Wynonna Judd and Dierks Bentley, Meadows started his songwriting career while living in Gatlinburg.
John Reagan (1818–1905): Born in Gatlinburg, Reagan moved to Texas as an adult and became a career politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as Postmaster General and Secretary of the Treasury for the Confederate States of America.

References

External links

Gatlinburg Department of Tourism