Cookeville, TN

Census place 4716920 · pop 36,088

D50/ 100
😐 Meh
C
in TN
📍 Tennessee ranks #32 of 50 states →
🏆 Air32 AQI · top 8%
🚽 Mental21.9% · bottom 2%
💡 Did you know?

Home of Tennessee Technological University, the region's flagship engineering and STEM school.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.52% property · US 0.99%9.61% sales · US 7.00%None income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Poor mental health21.9%2

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

21.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Homeownership41.1%5

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

41.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poverty rate23.5%11

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

23.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Median household income$51,37514

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$51,375 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Income inequality0.4915

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Adult smoking16.5%22

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

16.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Uninsured adults13.3%24

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

13.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Broadband access88.3%27

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

88.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Adult obesity36.5%40

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

36.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Housing cost$305,40046

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$305,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Physical inactivity25.1%50

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

25.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Bachelor's degree or higher34.8%59

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

34.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Rent$1,516/mo68

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,516/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.2%71

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)+7.9%75

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+7.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Natural disaster riskCounty-level67/10078

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

67/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time19 min81

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.52%89

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.52% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Air quality (AQI)County-level32 AQI92

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

32 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Cookeville: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Cookeville, TN a good place to live?
By the numbers, Cookeville scores 50/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is poor mental health. Tennessee overall ranks #32 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Cookeville, TN expensive to live in?
Cookeville has a median home value of $305,400 and typical rent around $1,516/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Cookeville, TN?
Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (21.9%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Cookeville, TN best at?
Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (32 AQI) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Home of Tennessee Technological University, the region's flagship engineering and STEM school.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.