Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Tennessee?
Only a third of Tennesseans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Tennessee don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.
But, we were curious – which Tennessee cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.
After analyzing the 99 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Volunteer State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Tennessee
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Red Bank is the happiest place in Tennessee.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Tennessee For 2023
/10
Population: 7,384
Poverty Level: 28.7%
Median Home Price $89,900
Married Households 20.0%
Households With Kids 40.89%
More on La Follette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 5,492
Poverty Level: 21.0%
Median Home Price $98,800
Married Households 20.0%
Households With Kids 30.57%
More on Rockwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 6,228
Poverty Level: 20.5%
Median Home Price $130,200
Married Households 17.0%
Households With Kids 41.36%
More on Sweetwater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 38,127
Poverty Level: 11.1%
Median Home Price $207,800
Married Households 16.0%
Households With Kids 45.03%
More on La Vergne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 13,031
Poverty Level: 14.3%
Median Home Price $173,900
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 44.2%
More on Portland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 163,518
Poverty Level: 13.2%
Median Home Price $172,700
Married Households 10.0%
Households With Kids 39.1%
More on Clarksville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 7,856
Poverty Level: 25.8%
Median Home Price $99,200
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 35.53%
More on Ripley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 12,131
Poverty Level: 20.5%
Median Home Price $128,500
Married Households 25.0%
Households With Kids 37.28%
More on Lewisburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 23,005
Poverty Level: 19.0%
Median Home Price $140,300
Married Households 18.0%
Households With Kids 35.72%
More on Shelbyville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 5,177
Poverty Level: 23.3%
Median Home Price $97,400
Married Households 25.0%
Households With Kids 25.89%
More on Bolivar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Volunteer State
To rank the unhappiest places in Tennessee, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.
Like magic.
Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 99 places in Tennessee with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 99 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Tennessee.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Tennessee.
There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Tennessee
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Tennessee is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in Tennessee, according to science:
- Red Bank
- Jonesborough
- Kingsport
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Tennessee
- Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- Most Dangerous Cities In Tennessee
- Richest Cities In Tennessee
- Safest Places In Tennessee
- Worst Places To Live In Tennessee
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Tennessee
Miserable Cities In Tennessee For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Follette, TN | 7,384 | 28.7% | $89,900 | 20.0% | 40.89% |
| 2 | Rockwood, TN | 5,492 | 21.0% | $98,800 | 20.0% | 30.57% |
| 3 | Sweetwater, TN | 6,228 | 20.5% | $130,200 | 17.0% | 41.36% |
| 4 | La Vergne, TN | 38,127 | 11.1% | $207,800 | 16.0% | 45.03% |
| 5 | Portland, TN | 13,031 | 14.3% | $173,900 | 22.0% | 44.2% |
| 6 | Clarksville, TN | 163,518 | 13.2% | $172,700 | 10.0% | 39.1% |
| 7 | Ripley, TN | 7,856 | 25.8% | $99,200 | 22.0% | 35.53% |
| 8 | Lewisburg, TN | 12,131 | 20.5% | $128,500 | 25.0% | 37.28% |
| 9 | Shelbyville, TN | 23,005 | 19.0% | $140,300 | 18.0% | 35.72% |
| 10 | Bolivar, TN | 5,177 | 23.3% | $97,400 | 25.0% | 25.89% |
| 11 | Henderson, TN | 6,232 | 25.1% | $97,700 | 19.0% | 41.53% |
| 12 | Munford, TN | 6,269 | 5.7% | $196,200 | 22.0% | 36.52% |
| 13 | Smyrna, TN | 52,401 | 11.9% | $239,100 | 16.0% | 36.72% |
| 14 | Milan, TN | 8,143 | 15.8% | $105,700 | 29.0% | 36.55% |
| 15 | Hartsville/trousdale County, TN | 11,463 | 12.5% | $178,200 | 23.0% | 31.11% |
| 16 | Springfield, TN | 18,561 | 23.6% | $174,400 | 21.0% | 37.37% |
| 17 | Dickson, TN | 15,855 | 17.3% | $180,500 | 24.0% | 37.09% |
| 18 | Atoka, TN | 9,863 | 4.3% | $217,500 | 32.0% | 44.94% |
| 19 | Lexington, TN | 7,849 | 20.4% | $142,100 | 35.0% | 34.81% |
| 20 | Millington, TN | 10,583 | 18.1% | $134,500 | 20.0% | 29.25% |
| 21 | Ashland City, TN | 5,041 | 14.0% | $182,400 | 20.0% | 27.09% |
| 22 | Brownsville, TN | 9,807 | 26.1% | $94,300 | 26.0% | 29.59% |
| 23 | Lafayette, TN | 5,458 | 25.1% | $116,500 | 26.0% | 30.06% |
| 24 | Spring Hill, TN | 48,403 | 2.5% | $335,800 | 13.0% | 44.86% |
| 25 | Jefferson City, TN | 8,173 | 19.6% | $142,500 | 18.0% | 34.2% |
| 26 | Morristown, TN | 30,387 | 25.5% | $121,900 | 19.0% | 32.1% |
| 27 | Columbia, TN | 40,957 | 12.5% | $187,900 | 21.0% | 36.2% |
| 28 | Mount Juliet, TN | 38,059 | 5.7% | $313,100 | 19.0% | 41.45% |
| 29 | Memphis, TN | 634,139 | 24.2% | $113,700 | 15.0% | 28.23% |
| 30 | Madisonville, TN | 5,059 | 15.6% | $144,300 | 23.0% | 24.57% |
| 31 | Dunlap, TN | 5,252 | 27.5% | $114,000 | 33.0% | 32.6% |
| 32 | Lawrenceburg, TN | 11,460 | 28.1% | $119,800 | 22.0% | 30.14% |
| 33 | Oakland, TN | 8,805 | 6.2% | $195,300 | 28.0% | 41.29% |
| 34 | Covington, TN | 8,666 | 26.5% | $118,900 | 32.0% | 31.18% |
| 35 | Nolensville, TN | 13,393 | 1.0% | $496,500 | 19.0% | 59.55% |
| 36 | Bristol, TN | 27,154 | 19.6% | $139,900 | 18.0% | 29.1% |
| 37 | Thompson’s Station, TN | 7,011 | 3.7% | $415,400 | 17.0% | 35.84% |
| 38 | Mount Carmel, TN | 5,460 | 8.0% | $156,500 | 37.0% | 30.03% |
| 39 | Oak Ridge, TN | 31,087 | 14.6% | $170,800 | 15.0% | 33.29% |
| 40 | Pulaski, TN | 8,163 | 24.4% | $123,900 | 17.0% | 24.71% |
| 41 | Millersville, TN | 6,099 | 8.3% | $199,800 | 21.0% | 27.86% |
| 42 | Elizabethton, TN | 14,112 | 21.6% | $132,200 | 24.0% | 30.09% |
| 43 | Crossville, TN | 11,892 | 22.2% | $188,400 | 15.0% | 27.8% |
| 44 | Murfreesboro, TN | 148,970 | 12.1% | $274,600 | 17.0% | 33.48% |
| 45 | White House, TN | 12,820 | 5.7% | $244,300 | 32.0% | 38.27% |
| 46 | Church Hill, TN | 6,973 | 10.1% | $149,800 | 35.0% | 19.1% |
| 47 | Newport, TN | 6,845 | 32.2% | $99,200 | 30.0% | 29.11% |
| 48 | Kingston, TN | 5,942 | 6.0% | $176,300 | 28.0% | 21.34% |
| 49 | Greenbrier, TN | 6,845 | 6.2% | $251,500 | 33.0% | 44.93% |
| 50 | Hendersonville, TN | 60,628 | 7.1% | $304,200 | 22.0% | 33.4% |
| 51 | Union City, TN | 11,119 | 25.2% | $109,800 | 27.0% | 32.85% |
| 52 | Brentwood, TN | 44,354 | 2.6% | $711,900 | 17.0% | 42.47% |
| 53 | Franklin, TN | 81,531 | 5.1% | $468,200 | 12.0% | 35.02% |
| 54 | Collierville, TN | 50,669 | 2.8% | $352,200 | 21.0% | 40.13% |
| 55 | Fayetteville, TN | 6,988 | 17.4% | $153,300 | 22.0% | 24.14% |
| 56 | Fairview, TN | 9,299 | 10.2% | $279,400 | 23.0% | 37.18% |
| 57 | Pigeon Forge, TN | 6,362 | 22.3% | $187,100 | 14.0% | 32.38% |
| 58 | Lakeland, TN | 13,693 | 5.8% | $292,600 | 29.0% | 40.32% |
| 59 | Mcminnville, TN | 13,699 | 27.7% | $111,100 | 25.0% | 28.33% |
| 60 | Arlington, TN | 14,158 | 6.1% | $282,800 | 31.0% | 54.83% |
| 61 | Mckenzie, TN | 5,590 | 18.2% | $116,900 | 24.0% | 28.9% |
| 62 | Soddy-Daisy, TN | 13,090 | 8.3% | $169,300 | 31.0% | 29.15% |
| 63 | Manchester, TN | 11,956 | 16.4% | $163,400 | 19.0% | 27.34% |
| 64 | Dayton, TN | 7,112 | 23.4% | $106,100 | 26.0% | 30.22% |
| 65 | Athens, TN | 13,961 | 22.1% | $163,500 | 21.0% | 29.04% |
| 66 | Goodlettsville, TN | 17,522 | 10.2% | $263,100 | 20.0% | 27.63% |
| 67 | Lebanon, TN | 37,471 | 14.5% | $277,800 | 21.0% | 33.92% |
| 68 | Greeneville, TN | 15,361 | 14.9% | $164,600 | 22.0% | 27.0% |
| 69 | Savannah, TN | 7,157 | 25.5% | $121,700 | 23.0% | 33.84% |
| 70 | Nashville, TN | 682,646 | 14.5% | $291,400 | 13.0% | 26.22% |
| 71 | Jackson, TN | 67,753 | 23.7% | $149,000 | 22.0% | 31.73% |
| 72 | Bartlett, TN | 57,639 | 4.9% | $212,700 | 29.0% | 33.71% |
| 73 | East Ridge, TN | 21,967 | 15.5% | $141,800 | 21.0% | 21.82% |
| 74 | Lenoir City, TN | 9,953 | 17.8% | $168,400 | 21.0% | 26.5% |
| 75 | Harriman, TN | 5,936 | 20.2% | $116,200 | 29.0% | 24.88% |
| 76 | Dyersburg, TN | 16,235 | 23.7% | $134,600 | 26.0% | 28.83% |
| 77 | Gallatin, TN | 43,306 | 14.5% | $252,300 | 22.0% | 30.82% |
| 78 | Signal Mountain, TN | 8,770 | 2.2% | $360,000 | 25.0% | 37.14% |
| 79 | Knoxville, TN | 189,339 | 21.3% | $154,500 | 16.0% | 23.75% |
| 80 | Humboldt, TN | 7,899 | 25.3% | $93,200 | 29.0% | 17.78% |
| 81 | Alcoa, TN | 10,777 | 10.3% | $167,100 | 26.0% | 24.7% |
| 82 | Cleveland, TN | 46,747 | 18.0% | $193,300 | 19.0% | 29.72% |
| 83 | Paris, TN | 10,332 | 27.2% | $105,300 | 21.0% | 28.22% |
| 84 | Sevierville, TN | 18,038 | 19.0% | $223,800 | 21.0% | 29.1% |
| 85 | Maryville, TN | 31,281 | 8.4% | $227,100 | 25.0% | 33.07% |
| 86 | Chattanooga, TN | 180,353 | 17.6% | $189,500 | 16.0% | 23.54% |
| 87 | Tullahoma, TN | 20,599 | 17.2% | $167,700 | 28.0% | 30.73% |
| 88 | Clinton, TN | 9,982 | 15.0% | $166,900 | 36.0% | 22.89% |
| 89 | Johnson City, TN | 69,521 | 21.6% | $179,800 | 17.0% | 25.02% |
| 90 | Erwin, TN | 6,052 | 18.5% | $127,500 | 33.0% | 28.65% |
| 91 | Collegedale, TN | 10,973 | 10.8% | $267,400 | 10.0% | 22.37% |
| 92 | Farragut, TN | 23,388 | 3.3% | $398,900 | 19.0% | 29.52% |
| 93 | Cookeville, TN | 34,068 | 21.7% | $200,300 | 18.0% | 25.18% |
| 94 | Martin, TN | 10,536 | 29.2% | $135,000 | 19.0% | 25.09% |
| 95 | Winchester, TN | 9,299 | 15.2% | $159,800 | 28.0% | 27.7% |
| 96 | Germantown, TN | 40,955 | 2.4% | $358,600 | 27.0% | 35.97% |
| 97 | Kingsport, TN | 55,019 | 20.7% | $155,700 | 26.0% | 25.69% |
| 98 | Jonesborough, TN | 5,747 | 6.9% | $185,300 | 24.0% | 22.23% |
| 99 | Red Bank, TN | 11,855 | 13.7% | $181,200 | 23.0% | 19.91% |
Your humorous antics are not helping in the promotion of small towns such as Greeneville, TN. I, as the Tourism Director, take direct offense at something such as this. This does nothing but harm small towns.
As someone who lives in Lewisburg: Lol, yeah. Yeah. It freakin’ sucks.
Born right here in Crossville, but thankfully not raised here!!! If had known more would never have came here when retired!!! Fun times here during summer vacas, but living here full time sucks!!! Absolutely nothing to do unless u r a golfer!!!! Must drive miles just to shop! Lack of everything here, especially for younger ones, like when grandkids visit. 66 and bored out of my mind!!!
Farragut is tantamount to a suburb of Knoxville, so if Knoxville is miserable, due to lack of sun, so goes Farragut. Your list is a big load of BS.