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Clarksville.

All Clarksville data Compare Clarksville

176,456people live here $69,303median household income▼ 14% below US $1,307median rent per monthNear US average $263,600median home value▼ 21% below US

What it's like to live in Clarksville

Clarksville is a mid-size city in Tennessee with home prices that remain within reach, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clarksville deals with hospital ratings below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, above-average rainfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Affordable home prices
Clean air
Fast-growing population

The not so good

Below-average hospital ratings
High student-teacher ratio
Above-average rainfall
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Clarksville compares

Median household income

Clarksville$69,303

Tennessee avg$69,595

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Clarksville$1,307

Tennessee avg$1,189

US$1,413

Median home value

Clarksville$263,600

Tennessee avg$286,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Clarksville

Based on Clarksville's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,614

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,280 a year
45% of Clarksville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$52,720

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $26,360
Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,307/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,307 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $263,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $263,600 · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

3.9% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 11% above US

366 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 1289/100k · Clarksville Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

27 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 27 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

80%

Carpool

8.5%

Work from home

8.5%

Other

1.5%

Walk

1.4%

Public transit

0.4%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

2 hospitals

There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 1.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 17% below US

30% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

33 public schools inside the boundary

There are 33 public schools inside the boundary and 12 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Donelson National Battlefield (33 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Clarksville's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are hospital ratings below the national average and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,307/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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