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

Local figures

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

102

residents 85 or older (2.7% of all residents)

419

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (80%)

67%

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

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 102 Unicoi 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. 67% of homes in Unicoi have three or more bedrooms (66% in Unicoi County); the median home has 5.6 rooms.

Of Unicoi households headed by someone 65 or older, 419 own their home and 106 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 78 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Unicoi compared with Unicoi County and Tennessee

Census figure	Unicoi	Unicoi County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	2.7%	2.6%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	30%	29%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	37%	44%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	3.1%	13%	11%
Residents 65 or older	22%	24%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.2%	5.1%	8.6%

Older residents in towns around Unicoi

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Erwin, TN	7.0 mi	1,357	220
Johnson City, TN	8.8 mi	11,382	1,501
Elizabethton, TN	9.6 mi	2,950	428
Jonesborough, TN	9.7 mi	1,309	121
Oak Grove, TN	15 mi	1,100	41
Spurgeon, TN	17 mi	755	137

Emergency hospitals near Unicoi

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mountain Home Va Medical Center	Mountain Home, TN	6.6 mi	5 of 5	(423) 926-1171
Johnson City Medical Center	Johnson City, TN	6.8 mi	1 of 5	(423) 431-6111
Franklin Woods Community Hospital	Johnson City, TN	6.8 mi	3 of 5	(423) 302-1120

Straight-line miles from the center of Unicoi. 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 Unicoi

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. Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month. 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 Unicoi: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Unicoi?

Mountain Home Va Medical Center in Mountain Home, about 6.6 mi in a straight line from the center of Unicoi (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (423) 926-1171. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Unicoi?

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. Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month. 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 Unicoi?

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. Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Unicoi

More senior care near Unicoi

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Unicoi

More for Unicoi 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 Unicoi, TN