Moving to
Murfreesboro.

All Murfreesboro data Compare Murfreesboro

161,445people live here $80,108median household incomeNear US average $1,481median rent per monthNear US average $402,100median home value▲ 21% above US

What it's like to live in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro is a mid-size city in Tennessee with unemployment below the national average, a highly educated workforce, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Murfreesboro deals with crime rates above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, above-average rainfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Low unemployment
Highly educated workforce
Fast-growing population
Average class sizes

The not so good

Crime above national average
High rent burden for renters
Above-average rainfall
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Murfreesboro compares

Median household income

Murfreesboro$80,108

Tennessee avg$69,595

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Murfreesboro$1,481

Tennessee avg$1,189

US$1,413

Median home value

Murfreesboro$402,100

Tennessee avg$286,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Murfreesboro

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

To rent

$2,962

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,240 a year
51% of Murfreesboro renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$80,420

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $40,210
Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,481/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,481 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $402,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $402,100 · 51% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 30% below US

3.0% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 23% above US

404 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 1555/100k · Murfreesboro Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

27 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

72%

Work from home

16%

Carpool

9.8%

Walk

1.2%

Other

0.9%

Public transit

0.3%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

3 hospitals

There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 19% above US

43% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

28 public schools inside the boundary

There are 28 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to 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 Stones River National Battlefield (2 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Murfreesboro's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,481/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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