Places › Tennessee › Cookeville

Living in Cookeville, TN

Small city in Tennessee

Cookeville is a small city in Tennessee, home to about 36,000 people, with 87,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Cookeville a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Low taxes: no state income tax, 0.58% property tax
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $328k and rents for $1,410 a month
  • Dog-friendly: 3 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 87,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Fewer graduates: 35% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Cookeville ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
36,000
87,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
50°F / 86°F
Average daily highs · 6″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$328k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,410/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
92
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
No income tax
State income tax per resident · 0.58% property tax
Safety
0.9× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
8 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 18 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
35%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BNA
65 mi away

Living in Cookeville: common questions

What is the cost of living in Cookeville?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $328k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,410 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 92, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Cookeville?

Tennessee has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 0.58% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Cookeville safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.9× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Cookeville?

Public schools in Cookeville test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 18 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Cookeville?

Cookeville has cool winters: winter days average around 50°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.

Does Cookeville get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.98 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Cookeville?

The nearest major airport is BNA, about 65 mi away.

How Cookeville scores

Each bar compares Cookeville with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesExcellent
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationBelow average
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsBelow average
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Cookeville

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Jefferson City, MOSmall city47 $266k$1,270/moSafe Carrollton, GASmall city56 $267k$2,180/moNo crime data Richmond, KYSmall city52 $294k$1,260/moVery safe Oxford, MSCollege town51 $414k$1,540/moNo crime data Rapid City, SDSmall city45 $347k$1,740/moModerate crime Anderson, SCSmall city51 $276k$1,520/moNo crime data

Nearby

Lebanon, TNSmall city · 47 mi away52 $398k$2,210/moSafe Murfreesboro, TNMid-size city · 55 mi away54 $389k$2,210/moSafe Gallatin, TNSmall city · 56 mi away50 $410k$2,210/moVery safe Mount Juliet, TNSuburb · 56 mi away64 $484k$2,210/moVery safe Smyrna, TNSuburb · 58 mi away60 $376k$2,210/moSafe La Vergne, TNSuburb · 59 mi away61 $337k$2,210/moSafe

See all the best places to live in Tennessee.

Is Cookeville right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.