Business phone system for marinas in Tennessee
103 marinas operated in Tennessee in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 103CBP 2023
- Employees
- 695mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 1.4U.S. 1.1
- State rank
- 12th of 48by count
How many marinas operate in Tennessee
The Census Bureau counted 103 marinas in Tennessee in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 713930). They employed 695 people in mid-March and reported $32.7 million in annual payroll. That is the 12th highest count among the 48 states and DC with published figures. Marinas make up 0.07% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 1.4 marinas, 29.6% above the national rate of 1.1. The average establishment has 6.7 employees against 8.7 nationally. Payroll per employee is $46,984, 8.3% below the U.S. figure of $51,257.
| Measure | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 103 | 3,739 |
| Mid-March employees | 695 | 32,549 |
| Annual payroll | $32,654,000 | $1,668,362,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 6.7 | 8.7 |
| Payroll per employee | $46,984 | $51,257 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.1 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Tennessee's largest markets for marinas
Census published marina counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Knoxville, TN, with 25 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 55% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | 25 | 194 | 2.6 |
| Nashville, TN | 13 | 96 | 0.6 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 9 | 57 | 1.5 |
| Johnson City, TN | 7 | 41 | 3.3 |
| Kingsport, TN-VA | 5 | — | 1.6 |
| Morristown, TN | 5 | 9 | 3.9 |
| Cookeville, TN | 4 | — | 2.7 |
| Paris, TN | 3 | 22 | 9.1 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at marinas in Tennessee
49.5% of Tennessee's marinas with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 54.5% nationally. 80.6% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 51 | 49.5% | 54.5% |
| 5–9 employees | 32 | 31.1% | 22.7% |
| 10–19 employees | 13 | 12.6% | 14.0% |
| 20–49 employees | 7 | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 2.2% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Why the phone matters for marinas in Tennessee
Marinas take calls about slips, fuel, service and storage, often from boaters on the water. Staff are frequently on the docks.
A few of the calls that come in to marinas in Tennessee:
- A boater calls about fuel dock hours.
- The marina calls a customer about a haul-out.
- A customer calls about winter storage.
When nobody can pick up
Boaters call evenings and weekends.
Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.
Phone system pricing for a 7-person marina
Marinas in Tennessee average 6.7 employees, so the comparison uses a 7-person team. Priced per seat, 7 users would run $210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 7 people cost $139.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $852. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $139.00 | $1,668.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $133.00 | $1,596.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $161.00 | $1,932.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $174.65 | $2,095.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $189.00 | $2,268.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $210.00 | $2,520.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Area codes in Tennessee
Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your boaters know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 615 | 781 | Central | 1954 | 629 |
| 423 | 764 | Eastern and Central | 1995 | 729 |
| 901 | 616 | Central | 1947 | none |
| 931 | 538 | Eastern and Central | 1997 | none |
| 865 | 506 | Eastern | 1999 | none |
| 731 | 395 | Central | 2001 | none |
| 629 | 197 | Central | 2015 | 615 |
| 729 | 0 | Eastern and Central | 2025 | 423 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for marinas in Tennessee
For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Tennessee, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Frequently asked questions
How many marinas are in Tennessee?
103 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 695 people in mid-March.
Which Tennessee metro area has the most marinas?
Knoxville, TN, with 25 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 7-person marina?
$210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $139.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Tennessee number?
Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.