What it's like to live in Tullahoma
Tullahoma 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 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. Tullahoma deals with household incomes below the national average, very rainy, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Very rainy — 61" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Tullahoma compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tullahoma
Based on Tullahoma's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,772
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,440 a year
- 43% of Tullahoma renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,190
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 37% below US
$886/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $886 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $251,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $251,900 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Coffee County is 3.6%, 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.
Coffee County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
330 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 1444/100k · Tullahoma Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 22% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 31°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 26% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 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 Russell Cave National Monument (36 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Tullahoma'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 very rainy. A year of median rent ($886/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Tullahoma
All Tennessee guides →Moving to Shelbyville →
16 mi away · pop. 24,661
Rent $1,056/mo · Income $55,073
Compare with Tullahoma →Moving to McMinnville →
33 mi away · pop. 13,844
Rent $791/mo · Income $47,179
Compare with Tullahoma →Not sure Tullahoma is the one?
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