What it's like to live in Martin
Martin is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Martin deals with household incomes below the national average, hospital ratings below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Martin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Martin
Based on Martin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,718
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,360 a year
- 44% of Martin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,830
- Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$859/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $859 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 $198,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $198,300 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Weakley County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Weakley County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 23% below US
254 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1179/100k · Martin Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 47% below US
14 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 13.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 16% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 30% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (50 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Martin's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and hospital ratings below the national average. A year of median rent ($859/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Martin
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