CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

36.14° N · 88.51° W · GEOID 4744940

McKenzie

Carroll County, Tennessee · part of the Paris, TN metro

TennesseeMcKenzie, TNMcKenzieMcKenzie

The short answer

McKenzie is home to 5,631 people. Median household income is $37,236 a year and median rent is $663 a month, 21.4% 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 $154,500, about 4.2x annual median household income.

McKenzie stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 7.1 libraries per 10,000 residents, more than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 112 Tennessee places we track. Also notable: The median household earns $37,236 a year, less than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 112 Tennessee places we track.

45OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

McKenzie scores better than 45% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 50th of 112 in Tennessee.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%42
Economy 20%35
Safety 20%57
Amenities 15%66
Education 10%21
Commute 10%79
Growth 5%26
Median gross rent
$663
51% below the median place
Median household income
$37,236
54% below the median place
Median home value
$154,500
52% below the median place
Unemployment
4.0%
17% below the median place

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 McKenzie

  • Affordability64% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 86% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to McKenzie

Carroll County gains about 16.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,469
Moved out1,114
Net+355

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Benton County, TN12367+56

Within Tennessee, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TennesseeOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$46K
Leavers$39K

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

Who moves here
10.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Carroll County report $45,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $39,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$26,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $663 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,128 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $154,500.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 8.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Greenville, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
10.3%
80% above the median place
Income of households moving out6
$39,474
44% below the median place
Income of households moving in6
$45,678
35% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.3%80% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.8%39% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure16.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$45,67835% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$39,47444% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 85% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track.

McKenzie21.4%
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
$26,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.4%
5% above the median place
Home price to income
4.2x
9% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$29,000
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in McKenzie, $663 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like McKenzie, but easier on the budget

Places that match McKenzie on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Greenville, IL9715.1% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Iola, KS9417.0% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Collinsville, VA9417.2% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Ottawa, KS9417.3% vs 21.4%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to McKenzie? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$825
75% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,128
40% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
64.2%
27% above the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$66351% below
Rent to income121.4%5% above
Property tax rate10.5%42% below
Home price to income14.2x9% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$99538% below
Property tax paid (median)1$82575% below
Median home value1$154,50052% below
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure9.0%183% above
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure71.1%38% above
Homeownership160.0%10% below
Renters paying 30%+164.2%27% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,12840% below
Vacant homes1County figure11.9%69% above
Median year built119720% below
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 12 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Bay Minette, AL, Mayfield, KY and Mount Sterling, KY), unemployment here is lower: 4% against a typical 5.6%.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$37,236
54% below the median place
Income per person1
$23,619
41% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate21.2% +96%
Mean commute20 min −19%
Works from home8.2% −34%
Unemployment4.0% −17%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$37,23654% below
Income per person1$23,61941% below
Unemployment14.0%17% below
Average annual pay4County figure$51,80421% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure8.8%138% above
Jobs4County figure7,53595% below
Poverty rate121.2%96% above
Mean commute120 min19% below
Works from home18.2%34% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 80.1%, 13% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
80.1%
13% below the median place
Median age1
32.9
16% below the median place
Household size1
2.2
10% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher20.0% −37%
No health insurance10.8% +69%
Born abroad4.0% −55%
High school or higher87.2% −6%
All 9 people measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,6316191st largest
Population change since 202051.9%65% above
Median age132.916% below
Bachelor's or higher120.0%37% below
High school or higher187.2%6% below
Household size12.210% below
Born abroad14.0%55% below
No health insurance110.8%69% above
Homes with broadband180.1%13% below
05

Life in McKenzie

The nearest National Park Service site is Fort Donelson National Battlefield, about 43 miles away.

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • First Cumberland Presbyterian Church-McKenzie listed 1993
  • McKenzie Depot listed 1996
  • Webb Public School listed 2024

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents19.5 +92%
Playgrounds per 10k3.5 −62%
Grocery stores per 10k3.5 +67%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k19.5 +75%
Libraries per 10k7.1 8.2×
Named paths and bike trails2 km −15%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Fort Donelson National Battlefield 43 miles
  • Shiloh National Military Park 69 miles
  • Brice's Cross Roads National Battlefield Site 113 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars11.5 −45%
Shops34.9 +15%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.1 −49%
Doctors' offices and clinics12.2 −40%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

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

Public schools12
3
67% below the median place
Public school students12
1,296
74% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site9
43.1
40% above the median place
All 17 schools and local life measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12367% below
Public school students121,29674% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure11.545% below
Shops per 10k7County figure34.915% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure2.149% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure12.240% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k819.592% above
Playgrounds per 10k83.562% below
Grocery stores per 10k83.567% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k819.575% above
Libraries per 10k87.1above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails81.715% below
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site943.140% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles9150% below
National Register listings10377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 196, 2% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
196
2% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
889
27% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk14
20.2
67% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
54.7 in
25% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
72.8
21% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureMcKenzieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure89°F3% above
January average low13County figure29°F13% above
Average temperature13County figure59°F8% above
Annual precipitation13County figure54.7 in25% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure72.821% below
Hurricane risk14County figure52.426% below
Tornado risk14County figure87.17% above
Wildfire risk14County figure20.267% below
Heat wave risk14County figure82.58% below
08

McKenzie in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

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. On projected 2030 affordability, McKenzie does better than 40% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 75%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$663/mo (2024)$830/mo$680 to $1,010/mo+3.7%
Median household income$37,236 (2024)$46,500$39,000 to $55,000+3.7%
Median home value$154,500 (2024)$226,000$164,000 to $311,000+6.5%
Population5,632 (2025)5,7405,510 to 5,990+0.4%

The median home would be worth 4.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

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

09

Places like McKenzie

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

PlaceRentIncome
Idabel, OK$702$43,295Compare
Ripley, TN$800$37,432Compare
Douglas, GA$680$34,408Compare
Seminole, OK$744$39,121Compare
Seminole, OKDouglas, GARipley, TNIdabel, OKMcKenzie, TNMcKenzieIdabelDouglasSeminoleMcKenzieIdabelDouglasSeminole

Places built like McKenzie

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how McKenzie performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
McKenzie, TN21.4%2.6%/yr1.9%
Bay Minette, AL21.1%2.7%/yr5.0%Compare
Mayfield, KY18.9%4.9%/yr-1.6%Compare
Mount Sterling, KY15.0%5.6%/yr0.7%Compare
Millington, TN26.7%-1.0%/yr22.4%Compare
Bolivar, TN24.8%4.0%/yr-3.0%Compare
Lewisburg, TN21.6%2.7%/yr10.0%Compare

Common questions

Is McKenzie a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 45 out of 100, better than 45% of the places we rate and 50th of 112 in Tennessee. 64% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 86% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 12 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is McKenzie expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $154,500.

What salary do you need to live in McKenzie?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $26,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is McKenzie safe?

There were 196 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to McKenzie?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Idabel, OK, Ripley, TN, Douglas, GA and Seminole, OK.

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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  6. 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.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. 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 McKenzie with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for McKenzie itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mckenzie-tennessee

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

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