2026 editionSouthPop. 7,315,076Capital Nashville16th state, admitted 1796Cook PVI R+15
Is Tennessee a Good Place to Live? Tennessee Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Tennessee ranks #24 of 50 with a composite score of 57.1 and a B grade, strongest in fiscal health (#3) and weakest in health (#46). The median household earns $71,997 (11% below the national median), homes typically cost $334,108 (9% below the national average), and violent crime is 492 per 100,000 (50% above the national average).
Tennessee is the low-tax state that delivers: no income tax, a burden of 6.38% (#4 lowest), and a net migration rate of +5.8 per thousand, #5. The catch is a violent crime rate of 492 per hundred thousand, 50% above the national average, mostly a Memphis and Nashville number, and a sales tax of 9.61% on nearly everything.
Tennessee by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Tennessee's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Tennessee overview
Tennessee scores above the national average in 5 of 11 categories and ranks #4 of 14 states in the South, behind 3 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is total tax burden (6.38%, 2.4 points below the national average); its biggest shortfall is violent crime rate (492, 50% above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (4) and bottom-10 finishes (2) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Tennessee rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Tennessee is top 10 in 4 and bottom 10 in 2.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 45.8 | #26 of 50 | B | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 3.5% and median household income is $71,997. |
| Safety | 52.2 | #45 of 50 | D | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 492.3 violent crimes and 1,636.6 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 28.7 | #46 of 50 | D | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 73.8 years, 37.6% of adults have obesity, and 9.7% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 71.7 | #8 of 50 | A | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 276 in NAEP math and 259 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 90.4%. |
| Affordability | 77.9 | #17 of 50 | B+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $334,108 (4.6x median income); cost of living index 91.9 (100 = US); center-based infant care $13,926 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 76.1 | #3 of 50 | A+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $1,630 of debt per resident, has 97% of pensions funded, and holds a AAA credit rating. |
| Growth | 56.9 | #5 of 50 | A+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.88% last year; Census net domestic migration is +5.8 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 42.9 | #40 of 50 | C | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 26.5 minutes, 0.5% of workers use public transit, and 12.7% work from home. |
| Livability | 47.0 | #9 of 50 | A | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.688 restaurants and 0.078 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.052 bars and 0.052 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 13.3 | #38 of 50 | C | 6% | 29.4 | 7.2% of its land is public, with 2.13 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 36.2 | #33 of 50 | C+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 40, 14% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 25. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Tennessee's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Tennessee bulges toward fiscal health and dips at health.
How expensive is Tennessee?
Tennessee's cost of living index is 91.9 against a national baseline of 100, 8% below the national average and #14 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $334,108 (9% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $85,549, $13,552 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Jackson is cheapest (index 85.5) and Lebanon priciest (96.3).
Housing market snapshot · August
Cold marketRanked #28 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #27 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $13,552 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Tennessee housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Tennessee | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$5,659 | −$11,758 | #18 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$35,908 | +$31,418 | #11 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$39,960 | +$35,970 | #14 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Tennessee?
Tennessee has no state income tax; instead it leans on low property tax, high sales tax. The total state and local tax burden comes to 6.38% of income, 2.4 points below the national average (#4 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.58% of home value (#13), and combined sales tax averages 9.61% (#49).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 76.1 out of 100, #3 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Tennessee safe?
Tennessee reports 492 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 50% above the national average and #46 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,637 per 100,000, 7% above the national average (#33 of 50). The safety score is 52.2 out of 100, #45 of 50; among tracked cities, Brentwood has the lowest violent crime rate.
Tennessee vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Tennessee
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendersonville | 63,091 | 140 | 621 |
| Franklin | 87,133 | 171 | 693 |
| Collierville | 51,515 | 175 | 1,015 |
| Bartlett | 56,876 | 262 | 1,178 |
| Smyrna | 56,692 | 333 | 1,907 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Tennessee cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Tennessee?
Tennessee's unemployment rate is 3.5%, 0.5 points below the national average and #16 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $71,997, 11% below the national median. Real GDP grew +2.4% in the latest year (#15 of 50) and GDP per capita is $61,193, 5% below the national average. The population is growing 0.88% a year, 0.4 points above the national average. The economy score is 45.8 out of 100, #26 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Tennessee, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $234,805 | $218,369 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin |
| Lawyers | $160,703 | $149,454 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin |
| Software Developers | $138,078 | $128,413 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin |
| General & Operations Managers | $110,163 | $102,452 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin |
| Civil Engineers | $106,886 | $99,404 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Tennessee's schools and healthcare?
Tennessee's education score is 71.7 out of 100, #8 of 50. Eighth graders average 276 in NAEP math (#19 of 50) and 259 in reading (#20 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 90.4%, 4.8 points above the national average (#2 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 97% | 17.1 | $10,250 |
| Franklin | 96% | 13.3 | $14,132 |
| Hendersonville | 96% | 14.8 | $11,191 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Tennessee is #46 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 73.8 years, 3.1 years below the national average. 37.6% of adults have obesity (#43 of 50) and 9.7% of residents have no health insurance (#40 of 50). The health score is 28.7 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Tennessee, and who is leaving?
Tennessee gained a net 24,104 households from other states in the latest IRS release: 113,788 moved in and 89,684 moved out, +3.3 per 1,000 residents (#4 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $79,430 against $70,076 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +35.4K people (191.8K in, 156.4K out, ±17.2K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Florida12,505 · $75,593
- 2California10,246 · $108,727
- 3Georgia8,430 · $73,311
- 4Texas6,952 · $87,216
- 5Mississippi5,641 · $48,083
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Florida9,475 · $86,119
- 2Georgia7,832 · $66,775
- 3Texas6,776 · $77,176
- 4Mississippi5,685 · $53,047
- 5Kentucky5,516 · $53,383
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Tennessee?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Tennessee cities we track are Franklin (69.5), Brentwood (68), and Collierville (67.6). Jackson is the cheapest (cost index 85.5), Brentwood the richest ($182,088), and Lebanon the fastest growing (+5.6% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Tennessee cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Tennessee
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Brentwood | 62 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Jackson | cost of living index 85.5 |
| Most walkable | Memphis | walkability 11.8 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Clarksville | median AQI 32 (county) |
| Best schools | Lebanon | 97% graduation rate |
| Richest | Brentwood | $182,088 |
Among the 20 Tennessee cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Tennessee
Where the growth and money are: the state's highest-priced suburbs and wages, Nashville's own high crime and low graduation rate at the center, and traffic that outgrew the roads.
Delta flatland, FedEx and the river; Memphis proper has the cheapest homes and highest crime of any tracked city, while Collierville and Bartlett rank among the safest and best-schooled.
The university, Oak Ridge and the national park; the cheapest of the three big metros, mountain weather, a retiree draw along the lakes, and steady rather than frantic growth.
A river city rebuilt around outdoor recreation and municipal broadband, with Volkswagen and the Georgia commuter shed; cheaper than Nashville, hillier than Memphis, and prone to summer haze.
Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol in the Appalachian corner: the lowest costs in the state, Eastman and the hospital system as employers, Virginia across the street, and mountain winters.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin | A+ | 69.5 | 87,133 | $119,528 | 171 | 96.3 |
| 2 | Brentwood | A+ | 68.0 | 45,556 | $182,088 | 62 | 96.3 |
| 3 | Collierville | A+ | 67.6 | 51,515 | $138,598 | 175 | 92.2 |
| 4 | Spring Hill | A | 63.4 | 55,765 | $112,013 | — | 96.3 |
| 5 | Hendersonville | B+ | 61.5 | 63,091 | $97,200 | 140 | 96.3 |
| 6 | Lebanon | B+ | 60.3 | 44,788 | $72,848 | 266 | 96.3 |
| 7 | Bartlett | B+ | 59.1 | 56,876 | $102,070 | 262 | 92.2 |
| 8 | Gallatin | B+ | 58.9 | 48,532 | $77,518 | 180 | 96.3 |
| 9 | Smyrna | B | 58.3 | 56,692 | $81,926 | 333 | 96.3 |
| 10 | Murfreesboro | B | 57.1 | 161,445 | $80,108 | 404 | 96.3 |
| 11 | Johnson City | C+ | 55.6 | 72,222 | $57,254 | 417 | 87.9 |
| 12 | Columbia | C+ | 54.1 | 45,441 | $63,719 | 371 | 96.3 |
| 13 | Clarksville | C+ | 53.4 | 176,456 | $69,303 | 366 | 90.9 |
| 14 | Knoxville | C | 51.8 | 195,185 | $54,039 | 685 | 92.6 |
| 15 | Cleveland | C | 51.6 | 48,829 | $58,559 | 547 | 88.1 |
| 16 | Kingsport | C | 51.3 | 56,262 | $52,490 | 572 | 86.4 |
| 17 | Chattanooga | C | 50.9 | 185,783 | $64,523 | 680 | 91.5 |
| 18 | Nashville | C | 50.4 | 690,130 | $77,371 | 961 | 96.3 |
| 19 | Jackson | D | 44.4 | 68,435 | $53,032 | 727 | 85.5 |
| 20 | Memphis | F | 37.4 | 618,980 | $51,736 | 1,853 | 92.2 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Tennessee cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Tennessee for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin | 67.8 | 71.1 | 90.9 | 46.7 |
| 2 | Collierville | 66.6 | 63.0 | 88.4 | 61.3 |
| 3 | Brentwood | 65.6 | 59.6 | 98.3 | 27.6 |
| 4 | Hendersonville | 62.7 | 63.0 | 93.5 | 61.7 |
| 5 | Johnson City | 60.8 | 63.0 | 64.9 | 81.1 |
Who is Tennessee best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Tennessee cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Tennessee compare with its neighbors?
Tennessee ranks #24. Among its bordering states, Virginia ranks highest (#15) and Arkansas lowest (#48). Georgia is the most similar on the composite score and Arkansas the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | #24 | 57.1 | $71,997 | $334,108 | 91.9 | 492 | 6.38% | |
| Virginia | #15 | 67.7 | $92,090 | $414,662 | 101.1 | 206 | 8.86% | Compare → |
| North Carolina | #23 | 59.1 | $73,958 | $334,773 | 94.3 | 330 | 8.18% | Compare → |
| Georgia | #26 | 55.4 | $79,991 | $330,817 | 96.3 | 297 | 8.47% | Compare → |
| Missouri | #34 | 51.0 | $71,589 | $267,879 | 90.8 | 418 | 7.83% | Compare → |
| Alabama | #37 | 48.5 | $66,659 | $241,613 | 88.8 | 348 | 7.99% | Compare → |
| Kentucky | #41 | 44.8 | $64,526 | $232,577 | 90.2 | 212 | 8.93% | Compare → |
| Mississippi | #46 | 41.9 | $59,127 | $197,606 | 87 | 227 | 9.06% | Compare → |
| Arkansas | #48 | 40.1 | $62,106 | $227,264 | 86.9 | 532 | 8.61% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Tennessee city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Tennessee numbers say when read together.
Fiscal Health is Tennessee's strongest suit
Tennessee is a #24 state overall but #3 of 50 for fiscal health, 21 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 76.1 against a national average of 58.1. Growth (#5) is next. Fiscal health carries 8% of the composite.
Health is where Tennessee falls furthest behind
Tennessee ranks #46 of 50 for health, 22 places below its overall #24, with a score of 28.7 against a national average of 54.4. At 12% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Total tax burden is 2.4 points below the national average
Tennessee's total tax burden is 6.38%, 2.4 points below the national average of 8.74%, #4 of 50 (1 = lowest). The largest gap in the other direction is violent crime rate: 492, 50% above the national average. Source: WalletHub tax burden study, latest release.
More households arrive than leave
Tennessee ranks #4 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (+3.3). The households arriving report $9,354 more in average income than those leaving ($79,430 against $70,076), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount grows. Florida is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $5,659 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#18 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $35,908 surplus; a retiree couple at a $39,960 surplus. Infant childcare runs $13,926 a year, 11% below the national average.
Tennessee sits 3rd among its 9-state neighborhood
2 of Tennessee's 8 bordering states rank above its #24; the closest match on the composite is Georgia. Median income among them runs from $59,127 in Mississippi to $92,090 in Virginia; Tennessee is at $71,997.
Frequently asked questions about living in Tennessee
Is Tennessee a good place to live?
Tennessee ranks #24 of 50 with a B grade, #4 of 14 in the South. It is top 10 in fiscal health, growth, education, and livability and bottom 10 in safety and health. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 4 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, unemployment, and tax burden) and trails on income and violent crime. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Tennessee rank among US states?
Tennessee ranks #24 of 50 overall with a composite score of 57.1 (grade B), and #4 of 14 states in the South. Its best category rank is #3 (fiscal health) and its worst #46 (health). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so B means rank 19–26.
Is it expensive to live in Tennessee?
At #14 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Tennessee is 8% below the national average: its index is 91.9 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $334,108 (9% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $85,549 against a median household income of $71,997. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $5,659 shortfall after all costs, #18 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
No. Tennessee levies no state income tax on wages. Its total state and local tax burden is 6.38% of income (#4 of 50, 1 = lowest), 2.4 points below the national average. Property tax is 0.58% of home value and combined sales tax 9.61%.
What is the crime rate in Tennessee?
Tennessee reports 492 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 50% above the national average and #46 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,637 property crimes per 100,000, 7% above the national average (#33). Its safety score is 52.2 out of 100, #45 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Tennessee have good schools?
Tennessee is #8 of 50 for education (score 71.7 out of 100). Its public school students average 276 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#19) and 259 in eighth-grade reading (#20), and the high school graduation rate is 90.4%, 4.8 points above the national average (#2). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Lebanon has the highest graduation rate at 97%.
Why are people moving to Tennessee?
Tennessee gained a net 24,104 households in the latest IRS release: 113,788 moved in and 89,684 moved out, +3.3 per 1,000 residents (#4 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Florida (12,505 households) and the most common destination is Florida (9,475). Arriving households report an average income of $79,430 against $70,076 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Tennessee a red or blue state?
Tennessee is a solidly red state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+15, meaning it votes about 15 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Tennessee?
Two cities carry the state's crime and one tax carries its budget. Safety ranks #45, health #46 and transportation #40. Memphis and Nashville account for most of the violent crime; the 9.61% sales tax hits every purchase including food; rural hospitals have been closing. Middle Tennessee's traffic has outgrown its roads, and spring tornado season is a real planning item.
Is Tennessee tax-friendly for retirees?
Yes, about as friendly as it gets: Social Security, pensions and withdrawals go untaxed. Property tax is 0.58%, with relief for lower-income seniors. The cost comes through the 9.61% sales tax, groceries included at a lower rate. A retiree couple at $75,000 ends the year at a $39,960 surplus, $3,990 above the national median. The #28 persona rank reflects health (#46) more than money; retire near Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga.
Is Tennessee safe?
Statewide, no; where most newcomers live, yes. Violent crime is 492 per hundred thousand, 50% above the national average, and that figure is dominated by Memphis, with Nashville's core adding to it. Brentwood, Collierville, Franklin and Spring Hill post rates far below the national average, and they are where the incoming households land. Compare the city you'd live in with its own metro's core, not the state average.
Where in Tennessee should I live?
Depends on the paycheck and the commute. Williamson County (Franklin, Brentwood) or Wilson and Sumner counties (Lebanon, Hendersonville, Gallatin) if you work in Nashville and can pay for it; Murfreesboro or Clarksville if you can't. Collierville or Bartlett for Memphis jobs with suburban schools. Knoxville for the cheapest big-metro life. Jackson is the cheapest tracked city if price is everything.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Tennessee?
Less than the coasts, more than Nashville's reputation suggests. A single adult at $75,000 comes out at a $35,908 surplus after housing, utilities, transport and taxes, #11; a family of four at the same income ends the year at a $5,659 shortfall, $6,099 above the national median, which means a second earner or a cheaper county. Those figures use the largest metro; in Jackson, Kingsport or Cleveland the same income stretches much further.
Does Tennessee get tornadoes?
Yes, and Middle and West Tennessee are in the belt that gets them at night, the dangerous kind. The FEMA risk index is 25.0, 16% below the national average, because the state has no hurricane coast or wildfire season; tornadoes and river flooding are the hazards. Nashville and Clarksville have both taken direct hits. East Tennessee sees fewer. A storm shelter and a weather radio are standard equipment mid-state.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Tennessee's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.