Live-In Caregivers in Erwin, TN: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Erwin, TN: the local picture

220

residents 85 or older (3.7% of all residents)

540

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (63%)

59%

of Erwin homes have 3 or more bedrooms (66% in Unicoi County)

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 220 Erwin residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 59% of homes in Erwin have three or more bedrooms (66% in Unicoi County), while 11% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.8 rooms.

Of Erwin households headed by someone 65 or older, 540 own their home and 313 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 68 owners and 114 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Erwin compared with Unicoi County and Tennessee

Census figure	Erwin	Unicoi County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	3.7%	2.6%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	35%	29%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	62%	44%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	22%	13%	11%
Residents 65 or older	23%	24%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.1%	5.1%	8.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$24,623	$40,673	—

Older residents in towns around Erwin

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Unicoi, TN	7.0 mi	844	102
Jonesborough, TN	11 mi	1,309	121
Johnson City, TN	14 mi	11,382	1,501
Elizabethton, TN	17 mi	2,950	428
Tusculum, TN	19 mi	744	59
Oak Grove, TN	19 mi	1,100	41

Emergency hospitals near Erwin

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Johnson City Medical Center	Johnson City, TN	12 mi	1 of 5	(423) 431-6111
Franklin Woods Community Hospital	Johnson City, TN	12 mi	3 of 5	(423) 302-1120
Mountain Home Va Medical Center	Mountain Home, TN	12 mi	5 of 5	(423) 926-1171

Straight-line miles from the center of Erwin. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Erwin

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (163% of the $2,052 monthly median income of Erwin households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (548% of the $2,052 monthly median income of Erwin households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see TennCare CHOICES: how to get paid to care for a family member in Tennessee.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Erwin: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Erwin?

Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, about 12 mi in a straight line from the center of Erwin (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (423) 431-6111. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Erwin?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (163% of the $2,052 monthly median income of Erwin households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (548% of the $2,052 monthly median income of Erwin households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Erwin?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Erwin it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Erwin

More senior care near Erwin

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Erwin

More for Erwin families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Erwin, TN