Washington County, Tennessee
Sell your land in Johnson City for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots in Johnson City for cash, including land where city zoning, sewer availability or floodplain mapping changes the building plan. You get a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours, and closings run through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions.
By Parcel Buyers · · Lot figures from the 2026 Tennessee parcel and assessment data · How we made this page
Quick answers
- Who buys land for cash in Johnson City?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Johnson City, Washington County, usually within 24 hours. Sales close through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions to the seller.
- What did vacant lots in Johnson City sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Johnson City sold for a median of $105,000 across 53 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $40,000 to $165,000.
- How many vacant lots are in Johnson City?
- The 2026 Tennessee parcel and assessment data lists 1,921 vacant residential lots in Johnson City; 10% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.43 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Johnson City set?
- We start from recent sales of similar lots nearby, like the 2025 prices on this page, then adjust for water and sewer, road access, flood zone, lot size and any title issues, and for the time and cost of reselling. You get one written number, not a range.
- How do I know a land buyer in Johnson City is legitimate?
- A real buyer closes through an independent, licensed title company and never asks you to pay anything up front. We never charge sellers a fee, deposit or closing-cost advance, and the title company pays you by check or wire at closing.
- Who is buying lots in Johnson City?
- In 2025, companies bought 38% of the vacant lots that sold in Johnson City, including 28% bought by homebuilders. Individuals bought the rest.
Local data
Johnson City land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels on the Washington County roll whose community code is Johnson City (the Washington County part of the city; other counties' parts are not included) in Washington County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 1,921 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 Tennessee parcel and assessment data [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 10% of vacant lots; next, half-acre lot at 10%. Median lot: 0.43 acre (18,550 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical appraised value | $40,600 median appraised value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $21,000 and $73,700 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $105,000 median across 53 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Johnson City (Jan 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $40,000–$165,000 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 38% of those purchases, including 28% by homebuilders; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 8% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Tennessee (most often NC, TX, VA) [1] |
| Washington County scope only | Johnson City is an incorporated city whose mapped limits cross county lines. This page covers only parcels coded Johnson City on the Washington County roll. [2],[1] |
| City issues building permits | The city Building Division accepts applications for building, site and civil, trade and sign permits through its CityView portal. [3] |
| Zoning is address specific | The city publishes zoning and overlay layers for land inside city limits and its urban growth boundary. Overlay rules can add design or building requirements. [4] |
| Utility service has its own map | Johnson City maps its service area separately from city limits. The service-area layer includes the urban growth boundary and the water and sewer service area. [5] |
| FY27 sewer connection fees | For FY 2026-27, the inside-limit sewer fee is $2,330 for a single-family home or $1,570 in an approved subdivision; a standard on-site pump is $5,260. [6] |
| TDEC decides septic design | Where sewer is unavailable, a septic system needs a TDEC permit. A state environmental scientist evaluates the site and may require a site plan or soil map. [9] |
| Flood zones have a city map | The city GIS publishes FEMA floodway and flood-zone layers. The displayed dataset says it was updated from FEMA in late 2016, so current FEMA data should control a permit decision. [7] |
| East Tennessee State University | ETSU's main campus is in Johnson City, and the university reports more than 14,500 students. For land comparisons, use a parcel's actual distance and route to the campus rather than a citywide assumption. [11] |
Pricing
What is a lot in Johnson City worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Johnson City sold for a median of $105,000 across 53 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $40,000 to $165,000. [1]
These are open-market sale prices. A direct cash offer is usually lower, because a cash buyer closes in days and takes on the time and cost of reselling the lot. Homebuilders made 28% of the 2025 lot purchases in Johnson City, and builder demand can lift sale prices above what a single owner usually gets from a cash buyer.
What moves the price in Johnson City
Sewer availability changes the site budget
Public sewer can remove the need for a septic field, but service territory does not prove that a usable main reaches a specific frontage. The city publishes a service-area layer, and its parcel layer carries water and sewer fields for parcel research. The municipal code requires certain buildings within 200 feet of a sanitary sewer to connect. For FY 2026-27, the inside-limit single-family sewer connection fee is $2,330, or $1,570 in an approved subdivision where the developer installed the sewer infrastructure. A site needing a standard residential pump is listed at $5,260. Where public sewer is not available, TDEC evaluates the soil and layout before approving septic. [5],[8],[6],[9]
Zoning, road frontage and floodplain shape the building area
A street address is not enough to price a vacant lot. The city's parcel layer includes zoning, zoning authority, road type, water and sewer fields, while the separate zoning map shows base districts and overlays. The CityView portal lets an owner search a parcel and apply for building or site permits. Floodplain review is another separate step: the city GIS provides FEMA floodway and flood-zone layers, but that layer notes a late-2016 data update, so a buyer should use the current FEMA map and permit review. A narrow frontage, steep usable area or mapped floodway can reduce the part of the parcel where a house, driveway and drainage work fit. [8],[4],[3],[7]
Lot size and 2025 lot sales provide reference points
The Washington County roll shows 1,921 vacant residential parcels in this page's Johnson City scope. The largest size group is quarter-acre lots at 10%, and the median lot is 0.43 acre. The 2025 roll set contains 53 arm's-length, single-parcel lot sales with a median recorded amount of $105,000; the middle half runs from $40,000–$165,000. Those are reference points, not an exact price for any one parcel. The state roll keeps only the county's most recent accepted sale, and utility access, zoning, frontage, slope and flood limits can matter more than a simple price-per-acre comparison. [1],[8],[4],[7]
Recorded easements and restrictions can change the offer
A city map answers many land-use questions, but it does not replace the recorded title. Washington County's Register of Deeds preserves deeds, plats, liens, mortgages, leases and other instruments that affect land. A plat may show access or utility easements. A deed can carry private restrictions, and a lien can reduce the cash left at closing. We review access and title before offering, and the independent title company handles the title search. Liens or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds with the seller's consent. No property-owner association dues or private road charge should be assumed from the community name alone; those are parcel and subdivision facts. [10]
Common situations
Selling land in Johnson City in these situations
You own a city lot but do not know its utility status
Yes. You can sell a vacant lot even when you do not know whether water or sewer reaches it. The city service map covers a wider service area, and the parcel layer includes water and sewer fields, but a builder still needs current connection approval and cost information. If sewer is unavailable, TDEC's septic evaluation may require a site plan or soil map. Parcel Buyers buys land with no water, sewer or road work. We check utilities, access and title before making the written offer. [5],[8],[9]
You live outside Tennessee
Yes. An owner can sell from another state. 8% of the vacant parcels in this Washington County scope have an owner mailing address outside Tennessee. Electronic signing and a mail-away closing let the transaction move without a trip to the property. Closing is through an independent, licensed title company and is typically about 10 days after the purchase agreement is signed, depending on title. Payment can be by check or wire. [1]
You inherited a lot with old paperwork
Yes. An inherited lot can be sold, but the recorded ownership still needs review. The Register of Deeds preserves deeds, plats, powers of attorney, liens and mortgages that show what is in the public record. A written offer does not require you to clear every issue first; the independent title company identifies what must be resolved for closing. [10]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Johnson City?
From your first message to money in hand, with nothing left out. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
See every detail of the process-
Tell us about your land
Fill out the short form (about 60 seconds) or email us. A land specialist reaches out to confirm the details, usually the same business day.
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Get your cash offer within 24 hours
We review the property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. It is a real number, not a range. Take it or leave it, with no pressure either way.
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Sign electronically
If you accept, everyone signs the purchase agreement electronically. There is nothing to print or mail at this stage.
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We inspect, the title company verifies
Our team inspects the land and an independent title company runs a title search for liens or taxes owed. If the land does not pass inspection, you are never charged anything.
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Close and get paid
The title company prepares the closing documents for notarization and issues your funds by standard check, overnight check, or wire transfer. A typical sale closes in 10 days.
Questions
Selling land in Johnson City: common questions
Does this page include every Johnson City parcel?
No. It covers parcels on the Washington County roll whose community code is Johnson City. Parcels in the city's other county sections are not included in these counts, values, owner shares or 2025 lot-sale figures.
Who issues a building permit for a lot inside the city?
The Johnson City Building Division issues city construction permits. Its CityView portal accepts applications for building, site and civil, trade and sign work, while the Planning Division handles rezoning, subdivisions and replats.
Can I sell a lot that does not have public sewer?
Yes. Parcel Buyers buys vacant land without sewer. If a future home needs septic, TDEC requires a permit and an environmental scientist evaluates the site. TDEC may request a detailed site plan or a soils map before issuing the permit.
How can I check zoning and utilities before I sell?
Use the city's parcel and zoning tools as a starting point. They show zoning authority, zoning or overlays, road type, and water and sewer fields. Current permit and utility confirmation still depends on the exact parcel and proposed use.
Can a flood zone or private restriction stop a sale?
Usually not, but either can affect value and what a buyer can build. Flood limits come from current maps and permit review. Private restrictions, easements and liens come from recorded deeds and plats, so the title search and land inspection matter.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- Can You Sell Land With a Lien?
Yes. Land with a lien can often be sold, but signing a deed does not by itself erase a valid claim. The lien may need to be paid, released, discharged, or otherwise resolved under the law that applies. With the seller's consent, an approved payoff can come from sale proceeds at closing. If the balance or lien is wrong, dispute it before closing and require proof of the cure.
- Can You Build on a Vacant Lot?
Maybe. A vacant lot is buildable only if the proposed use fits the rules that apply to that parcel and the site can satisfy access, utility, environmental, and permit requirements. Start with the local planning or zoning office, confirm that the parcel is a legal lot, and get a written parcel-specific answer. A zoning label or tax parcel number alone is not approval to build.[1][2]
- How to Sell Land in a Flood Zone
Flood-zone land can be sellable and sometimes buildable. A FEMA flood zone describes mapped risk; it is not a building permit. The buyer must verify the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map and any map changes, then ask the local floodplain administrator what elevation, floodway, coastal, permit, and design rules apply.[1][2][4] Vacant land itself is not covered by an NFIP policy; flood insurance covers qualifying buildings and contents, not land value.[5][6]
More places in Washington County
Your written offer
Get your cash offer
Four short steps, about 60 seconds. We review your property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. You can take it or leave it.
What happens after you send this
- A land specialist reaches out, usually the same business day, to confirm the details.
- You get a written cash offer within 24 hours: a real number, not a range.
- You decide. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
You will never be asked to pay us anything. No deposit, no processing fee, no closing-cost advance.
Nearby areas we buy
- Jonesborough
365 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $59,600
- Washington County
6,699 vacant lots countywide
How we made this page
Parcel Buyers is a land-buying company based in Florida. We buy vacant land directly from owners and publish these local pages so owners can see what land in their area is doing before they sell, to us or anyone else. We count the tax-roll figures ourselves from state data, take local rules and fees from the official sources listed below, and use AI tools to help research and draft the text. Every number links to its source, and we update the page when the data changes.
Method and sources
Parcel and assessment figures cover parcels on the Washington County roll whose community code is Johnson City (the Washington County part of the city; other counties' parts are not included). Source [1] is our own count of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury's county parcel and assessment files (assessment data dated August 28, 2026): a vacant lot is a residential parcel with no buildings, mobile home or improvement value; values are the county assessor's appraised (market) value; sale prices count only 2025 warranty-deed sales of a single lot that was vacant when it sold, at $1,000 or more, with bulk deeds and development-land deals removed. Treat medians as a guide to recent recorded amounts, not as an offer or an appraisal. Page updated October 2, 2026.
- [1] Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (data); Parcel Buyers (analysis), Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Office of Local Government parcel and assessment data (accessed 2026-10-01)
- [2] City of Johnson City, City and town limits GIS service (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [3] City of Johnson City, CityView building and planning portal (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [4] City of Johnson City, Zoning and overlay districts GIS service (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [5] City of Johnson City, Johnson City water and sewer service-area layer (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [6] University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Johnson City Municipal Code, wastewater connection rules and fees (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [7] City of Johnson City, FEMA flood zones GIS service (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [8] City of Johnson City, Johnson City service-area tax parcel layer (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [9] Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Subsurface Sewage Disposal System frequently asked questions (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [10] Washington County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [11] East Tennessee State University, ETSU at a Glance (accessed 2026-10-02)