What it's like to live in Paris
Paris is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Paris deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment 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
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Paris compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Paris
Based on Paris's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,560
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $31,200 a year
- 35% of Paris renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$32,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,360
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 45% below US
$780/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $780 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 $163,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $163,600 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Henry County is 4.1%, 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.
Henry County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 34% below US
218 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 1305/100k · Paris Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Donelson National Battlefield (25 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Paris'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 college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($780/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Paris
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