CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

35.80° N · 83.25° W · GEOID 4717300

Cosby

Cocke County, Tennessee · part of the Newport, TN metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

TennesseeCosby, TNCosbyCosby

The short answer

Cosby is home to 779 people. Median household income is $91,563 a year and median rent is $798 a month, 10.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $160,300, about 1.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$798
42% below the median place
Median household income
$91,563
14% above the median place
Median home value
$160,300
50% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Cosby

  • Household income has grown 25.7% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 112 Tennessee places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 80 Tennessee places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 106 Tennessee places.
  • The median rent takes only 10.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 112 Tennessee places.
  • The median home is worth 1.8 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 97% of places its size. It is the lowest of 112 Tennessee places.
01

Moving to Cosby

Cocke County gains about 20.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,147
Moved out1,576
Net+571

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Tennessee, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TennesseeOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$47K
Leavers$43K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Cocke County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Cocke County report $46,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $42,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$31,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $798 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,754 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $160,300.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 3.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Harrah, OK matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out5
$42,646
39% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people5
20.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in5
$46,754
34% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.0%12% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.4%28% below
Net movers per 1,000 people5County figure20.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in5County figure$46,75434% below
Income of households moving out5County figure$42,64639% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Cosby10.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$31,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
10.5%
49% below the median place
Home price to income
1.8x
54% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
10%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$82,400
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cosby, $798 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cosby.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cosby? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,302
60% below the median place
Homeownership1
86.1%
30% above the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$79842% below
Rent to income110.5%49% below
Property tax rate10.8%11% below
Home price to income11.8x54% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$99538% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,30260% below
Median home value1$160,30050% below
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure70.6%37% above
Homeownership186.1%30% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,75447% above
Vacant homes1County figure13.6%93% above
Median year built119931% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$29,697
26% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$91,56314% above
Income per person1$29,69726% below
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay4County figure$48,73726% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure7.3%97% above
Jobs4County figure7,40895% below
Poverty rate1County figure21.9%103% above
Mean commute1County figure33 min32% above
Works from home1County figure3.9%69% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 85.2%, 8% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
85.2%
8% below the median place
Median age1
34.3
12% below the median place
High school or higher1
94.4%
2% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17796646th largest
Median age134.312% below
Bachelor's or higher127.0%16% below
High school or higher194.4%2% above
Household size12.63% above
Born abroad1County figure1.2%87% below
No health insurance1County figure12.7%98% above
Homes with broadband185.2%8% below
05

Life in Cosby

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Shults Grove Methodist Church listed 2016
  • Mount Cammerer Fire Lookout listed 2019
  • Laurel Springs Primitive Baptist Church listed 2021

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars11.4 −45%
Shops31.2 +3%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.5 −15%
Doctors' offices and clinics9.8 −51%
Child care centers0.8 −65%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students8
1,050
79% below the median place
Public schools8
4
56% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k6
0.8
65% below the median place
All 8 schools and local life measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools8456% below
Public school students81,05079% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k6County figure11.445% below
Shops per 10k6County figure31.23% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6County figure3.515% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6County figure9.851% below
Child care centers per 10k6County figure0.865% below
National Register listings7377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 18.1, 80% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Cosby. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk10
18.1
80% below the median place
Natural hazard risk10
54.5
41% below the median place
Annual precipitation9
50.7 in
16% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureCosbyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high9County figure86°F1% below
January average low9County figure28°F11% above
Average temperature9County figure57°F5% above
Annual precipitation9County figure50.7 in16% above
Natural hazard risk10County figure54.541% below
Hurricane risk10County figure36.249% below
Tornado risk10County figure50.238% below
Wildfire risk10County figure61.81% above
Heat wave risk10County figure18.180% below
08

Cosby in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$91,563 (2024)$126,500$106,500 to $149,500+5.5%
Median home value$160,300 (2023)$253,000$179,000 to $358,000+6.7%

The median home would be worth 2.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Cosby

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Harrah, OK$939$84,375Compare
South Beloit, IL$972$78,616Compare
East Grand Forks, MN$888$77,549Compare
Union, MO$858$73,435Compare
Union, MOEast Grand Forks, MNSouth Beloit, ILHarrah, OKCosby, TNCosbyHarrahSouth BeloitEast Grand ForksUnionCosbyHarrahSouth BeloitEast Grand ForksUnion

Common questions

Is Cosby a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Household income has grown 25.7% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 112 Tennessee places. Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 80 Tennessee places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cosby expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 10.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $160,300.

What salary do you need to live in Cosby?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $31,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Cosby?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Harrah, OK, South Beloit, IL, East Grand Forks, MN and Union, MO.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  4. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  5. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  6. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  7. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  8. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  9. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  10. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cosby with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cosby itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cosby-tennessee

Citytistics. “Cosby, Tennessee.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cosby-tennessee/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.