Oak Ridge, TN
Census place 4755120 · pop 32,693
The Manhattan Project's "Secret City," built in WWII to enrich uranium for the first atomic bombs.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$72,311 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
25.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$270,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
65.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,656/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
40.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
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.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.68% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
58/100 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.
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.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+12.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
Not measured for Oak Ridge: 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 Oak Ridge, TN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Oak Ridge scores 58/100 — 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 population growth (5yr) and its weakest is adult obesity. 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 Oak Ridge, TN expensive to live in?
- Oak Ridge has a median home value of $270,200 and typical rent around $1,656/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Oak Ridge, TN?
- Its weakest measured area is adult obesity (39.9%) — 20/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Oak Ridge, TN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is population growth (5yr) (+12.6%) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The Manhattan Project's "Secret City," built in WWII to enrich uranium for the first atomic bombs.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.