What it's like to live in Clinton
Clinton is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clinton deals with crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, above-average rainfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Clinton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clinton
Based on Clinton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,924
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,480 a year
- 45% of Clinton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,500
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$962/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $962 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $225,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $225,000 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Anderson County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Anderson County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 29% above US
426 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1648/100k · Clinton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 32°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 44% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 20%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Obed Wild & Scenic River (26 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clinton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($962/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low).
Other places near Clinton
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