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Living in
Dickson.
About
Life in Dickson
Living here means embracing a small-city lifestyle that's genuinely affordable while staying close enough to Nashville to access real job opportunities—most people are pulling a manageable 26-minute commute to better-paying work. The job market itself is stable with unemployment under 3%, though most people end up commuting into the metro area for career growth; the city itself is small enough that local employment is limited, but I-40 access (just 5 miles south of downtown) makes that trade-off reasonable. What keeps people here long-term is the community feel—this is a town of 16,000 where you'll recognize faces, families have roots, and neighbors actually know each other, which is harder to find the closer you get to the city.
Dickson at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
33.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Foreign-Born
3.4%
Broadband Internet
89.9%
of households
Population Growth
+6.1%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.4% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Dickson: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Dickson, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (40.0%), and 6.4% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
23.1%
of residents
65 and Older
14.3%
of residents
Households with Kids
36.4%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.2%
of households
Married Couples
41.7%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.45
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 11% below TN average
Rent, home values, and income in Dickson
In Dickson, rent runs 11% below the TN average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
34.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
14.3%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
96.3
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$1,542
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
61.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1980
median year built
Vacant Homes
8.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $341,439 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.5 pts below TN average
Unemployment in Dickson and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Dickson County, which includes Dickson, is 0.5 percentage points lower than the TN average.
Unemployment rate
Dickson: Dickson County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Dickson County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Dickson Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area
Commute26.8 min avg
How Dickson residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Dickson, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 61% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 40 mi
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Major hub12.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 10% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Dickson runs 10% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
362.9
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,972.3
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Dickson Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 15 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
53.5 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Dickson County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Dickson County, which includes Dickson, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 15 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | Hail | $353,000 |
| 2024 | 10 | Drought | $15,000 |
| 2023 | 20 | Thunderstorm Wind | $7.7M |
| 2022 | 11 | Drought | $25,000 |
| 2021 | 17 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.5M |
| 2020 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $739,500 |
| 2019 | 15 | Flash Flood | $1.6M |
| 2018 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $53,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Dickson County, county-wide
Air Quality40 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Williamson County, TN (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 29 miles from Dickson) is typically good — 216 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
40
Good Days
216
per year
Moderate Days
27
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Williamson County, TN (29 mi away)
Climate86°F summers, 30°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Dickson has warm summers (avg high 86°F) and cold winters (avg low 30°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
70°/46°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
86°/65°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
71°/47°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
50°/30°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
54.1"
Annual Snowfall
2.5"
Hot Days/Year
26
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
84
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
112
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 28°F | 4.33" |
| Feb | 52°F | 30°F | 4.90" |
| Mar | 61°F | 38°F | 5.44" |
| Apr | 71°F | 46°F | 4.93" |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 5.79" |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.02" |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 4.62" |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.45" |
| Sep | 81°F | 59°F | 3.45" |
| Oct | 71°F | 47°F | 4.04" |
| Nov | 60°F | 37°F | 3.97" |
| Dec | 50°F | 31°F | 5.13" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Dickson
Dickson has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
8.5%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Tristar Horizon Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.2:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Dickson
Dickson's student/teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 17.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
7
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
17.8%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.2:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Fort Donelson National Battlefield, 43 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Dickson
Dickson has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Fort Donelson National Battlefield (43 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
National Battlefield
43 mi awayStones River National Battlefield
National Battlefield
54 mi awayShiloh National Military Park
National Military Park
84 mi awayPublic Libraries in Dickson
Dickson County Public Library
303 Henslee Drive, Dickson
Cities Near Dickson
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Dickson?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Dickson FAQ
Is Dickson, Tennessee affordable?⌄
Dickson's median rent is $1,063/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $69,678/year. Median home value is $292,600.
Is Dickson, Tennessee safe?⌄
Dickson's violent crime rate was 363 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is close to the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1972 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Dickson, Tennessee?⌄
Dickson County, which includes Dickson, has an unemployment rate of 3.0%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Dickson, Tennessee?⌄
The cost of living in Dickson is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,063/month and median household income is $69,678/year. The median home value is $292,600. About 35% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Dickson, Tennessee?⌄
The average commute in Dickson is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from