The 10 Poorest Cities In Tennessee For 2024


The poorest places in Tennessee are Smithville and La Follette for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Like all states, Tennessee has certain places that are going on hard times. These Tennessee places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.

Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Tennessee.

To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 101 cities in Tennessee with more than 5,000 people.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Poorest Places In Tennessee For 2024:

  1. Smithville
  2. La Follette
  3. Newport
  4. Martin
  5. Lawrenceburg
  6. Brownsville
  7. Morristown
  8. Dunlap
  9. Paris
  10. Ripley

Poorest Places In Tennessee Map

What’s the poorest city in Tennessee? According to the facts, Smithville is the poorest place in Tennessee for 2024.

This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.

For more Tennessee reading, check out:

The 10 Poorest Cities In Tennessee For 2024

1. Smithville

Smithville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,059
Rank Last Year:
Median Income: $30,526 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.8% (highest)
People In Poverty: 1,760
More on Smithville: Crime

Smithville, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Tennessee thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.

The city of 5,059 people averages the lowest median household income in Tennessee and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.

2. La Follette

La Follette, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 7,349
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 9)
Median Income: $35,705 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.4% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,305
More on La Follette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The second poorest city in Tennessee is La Follette.

The city ranks as having the 3rd highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 3rd highest in the Volunteer State.

3. Newport

Newport, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 6,850
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Median Income: $35,784 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.1% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,928
More on Newport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Placing as the third poorest city, Newport’s median income ranks as the 3rd lowest.

And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 28.15% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.

But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Volunteer State.

4. Martin

Martin, TN

Source: Flickr User stephenyeargin | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 10,823
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $38,235 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.5% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,085
More on Martin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Martin ranks as the fourth poorest place in Tennessee.

The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state.

That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.

5. Lawrenceburg

Lawrenceburg, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Christopher Hollis for Wdwic Pictures | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 11,592
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 3)
Median Income: $37,644 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.4% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,179
More on Lawrenceburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The fifth poorest city in Tennessee is Lawrenceburg.

The city ranks as having the 5th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 8th highest in Tennessee.

Still not the best news for Lawrenceburg.

6. Brownsville

Brownsville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 9,739
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 2)
Median Income: $38,662 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.0% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,730
More on Brownsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Brownsville ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Volunteer State.

It ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty and the 4th highest unemployment rate.

7. Morristown

Morristown, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Home4tnindustry | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 30,574
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Median Income: $39,547 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.7% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,869
More on Morristown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Morristown places as the seventh poorest city in Tennessee.

The city of over 30,574 ranks as having the 10th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.

8. Dunlap

Dunlap, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,443
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 8)
Median Income: $42,188 (20th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,817
More on Dunlap: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Dunlap ranks as the eighth poorest city in Tennessee.

The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.

9. Paris

Paris, TN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,311
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 4)
Median Income: $39,378 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.2% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,602
More on Paris: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Paris couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Tennessee; it ranks number 9.

While the median income is the 10th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Paris ranks as having the 12th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Tennessee.

10. Ripley

Ripley, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 7,794
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Median Income: $39,454 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.6% (11th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,996
More on Ripley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Tennessee is Ripley.

The city of 7,794 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Volunteer State.

Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Tennessee for 2024

The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.

However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:

  • Poverty Level
  • Median Household Income

After we collected the data for all 101 places with more than 5,000 people in Tennessee, we ranked each place from 1 to 101 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.

We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Smithville, crowned the “Poorest Place In Tennessee For 2024”.

This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Tennessee.

Summary: The Poorest Cities In Tennessee For 2024

Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Tennessee, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Tennessee.

When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.

If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Tennessee, according to data:

    Richest: Nolensville
    2nd Richest: Brentwood
    3rd Richest: Signal Mountain

For more Tennessee reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Tennessee

Rank City Population Poverty Rate Median Income People In Poverty
1 Smithville 5,059 34.8% $30,526 1,760
2 La Follette 7,349 31.4% $35,705 2,305
3 Newport 6,850 28.1% $35,784 1,928
4 Martin 10,823 28.5% $38,235 3,085
5 Lawrenceburg 11,592 27.4% $37,644 3,179
6 Brownsville 9,739 28.0% $38,662 2,730
7 Morristown 30,574 25.7% $39,547 7,869
8 Dunlap 5,443 33.4% $42,188 1,817
9 Paris 10,311 25.2% $39,378 2,602
10 Ripley 7,794 25.6% $39,454 1,996
11 Pulaski 8,301 28.4% $41,585 2,355
12 Lafayette 5,555 26.9% $40,240 1,495
13 Savannah 7,206 25.2% $40,200 1,815
14 Sweetwater 6,310 21.2% $38,750 1,340
15 McMinnville 13,756 21.7% $42,130 2,989
16 Henderson 6,326 23.3% $44,077 1,476
17 Covington 8,644 23.4% $44,384 2,020
18 Union City 11,068 21.4% $42,620 2,374
19 Lewisburg 12,376 24.7% $45,938 3,056
20 Memphis 630,027 23.6% $48,090 148,686
21 Erwin 6,026 19.9% $40,670 1,196
22 Bolivar 5,197 17.1% $36,348 891
23 Jackson 67,993 22.9% $48,058 15,570
24 Elizabethton 14,375 20.6% $44,252 2,964
25 McKenzie 5,608 17.2% $38,628 964
26 Milan 8,165 19.4% $42,909 1,584
27 Cookeville 34,967 21.5% $48,094 7,510
28 Crossville 12,099 20.5% $44,375 2,475
29 Humboldt 7,851 17.6% $40,299 1,380
30 Lexington 7,927 20.6% $45,877 1,633
31 Rockwood 5,468 17.8% $43,309 974
32 Knoxville 191,857 20.7% $48,309 39,791
33 Fayetteville 7,026 18.7% $45,391 1,312
34 Johnson City 70,720 21.7% $53,173 15,317
35 Dyersburg 16,170 21.2% $50,550 3,426
36 Kingsport 55,415 20.2% $48,228 11,204
37 Jefferson City 8,391 19.3% $48,212 1,617
38 Pigeon Forge 6,345 21.4% $53,380 1,360
39 Harriman 6,000 17.4% $45,458 1,044
40 Springfield 18,775 21.3% $55,392 3,991
41 Athens 14,091 19.1% $50,150 2,687
42 Greeneville 15,458 17.0% $46,473 2,624
43 Dayton 7,139 20.6% $54,511 1,471
44 Bristol 27,307 17.7% $49,130 4,822
45 Shelbyville 23,676 18.1% $50,694 4,285
46 Madisonville 5,120 11.9% $40,769 611
47 Lenoir City 10,291 17.9% $53,100 1,841
48 Cleveland 47,725 17.3% $52,468 8,256
49 Tullahoma 21,107 18.0% $56,771 3,795
50 Sevierville 17,986 15.4% $49,449 2,773
51 Millington 10,558 15.6% $49,543 1,649
52 East Ridge 22,040 15.8% $53,103 3,471
53 Manchester 12,325 16.5% $53,639 2,029
54 Chattanooga 181,288 16.9% $57,703 30,673
55 Winchester 9,450 15.4% $58,054 1,456
56 Lebanon 39,562 14.7% $63,698 5,795
57 Red Bank 11,919 12.7% $59,027 1,514
58 Columbia 42,474 12.5% $58,110 5,317
59 Clarksville 167,882 12.9% $62,688 21,623
60 Dickson 16,051 15.2% $65,244 2,439
61 Clinton 10,060 13.5% $63,706 1,354
62 Oak Ridge 31,535 14.7% $67,152 4,626
63 Hartsville/Trousdale County 11,596 11.4% $62,018 1,327
64 Alcoa 11,095 11.7% $63,580 1,294
65 Gallatin 44,947 13.4% $68,548 6,004
66 Portland 13,177 12.4% $68,315 1,636
67 Goodlettsville 17,500 11.0% $64,581 1,926
68 Nashville 684,103 14.5% $71,328 99,400
69 Soddy-Daisy 13,091 7.8% $64,119 1,019
70 Murfreesboro 153,487 11.6% $70,451 17,727
71 Millersville 5,818 8.4% $67,445 491
72 Church Hill 7,016 8.3% $65,518 583
73 Smyrna 53,760 11.8% $76,115 6,359
74 Jonesborough 5,891 9.8% $68,802 578
75 Mount Carmel 5,486 6.3% $64,971 345
76 Ashland City 5,213 9.7% $69,974 504
77 Fairview 9,519 11.3% $82,344 1,078
78 La Vergne 38,553 10.1% $77,531 3,874
79 Kingston 5,987 6.0% $67,637 357
80 Collegedale 11,001 8.1% $69,942 886
81 Maryville 31,876 8.3% $74,610 2,658
82 Atoka 10,070 8.3% $87,928 838
83 Hendersonville 61,589 6.9% $86,954 4,231
84 Oakland 9,139 5.2% $86,433 478
85 Greenbrier 6,954 5.3% $94,280 371
86 White House 13,305 4.6% $85,404 613
87 Medina 5,121 5.0% $91,135 255
88 Franklin 83,630 5.1% $106,592 4,273
89 Arlington 14,342 5.9% $116,409 849
90 Bartlett 57,481 4.9% $94,603 2,793
91 Munford 6,357 3.3% $89,397 211
92 Lakeland 13,811 4.9% $108,206 672
93 Mount Juliet 39,525 4.8% $108,066 1,885
94 Spring Hill 51,319 3.4% $104,880 1,755
95 Thompson’s Station 7,426 3.4% $116,569 255
96 Collierville 51,170 2.7% $129,729 1,361
97 Farragut 23,795 2.4% $135,725 566
98 Germantown 41,094 2.4% $140,429 982
99 Signal Mountain 8,833 2.4% $132,639 208
100 Brentwood 44,830 2.4% $181,576 1,062
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

2 thoughts on “The 10 Poorest Cities In Tennessee For 2024

  1. Is Livingston,Tennessee better off or worse today than 10 years ago ,now under a Black Mayor, Curtis Hayes,The mayor only has a High school education without any business experience? with Population,Economy, Housing?
    I know the square is worse today than 10 years ago because of several business have closed on the square ,plus the pawn Shop had to close.

    And with over 33 empty building in Church and Main street.

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