CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

35.11° N · 84.91° W · GEOID 4769740

South Cleveland

Bradley County, Tennessee · part of the Cleveland, TN metro

Limited data core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

TennesseeSouth Cleveland, TNSouth ClevelandSouth Cleveland

The short answer

South Cleveland is home to 7,452 people. Median household income is $66,601 a year and median rent is $1,030 a month, 18.6% 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 $232,600, about 3.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,030
25% below the median place
Median household income
$66,601
17% below the median place
Median home value
$232,600
27% below the median place
Unemployment
8.6%
76% above 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 South Cleveland

  • Only 20% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 106 Tennessee places.
  • 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 95% of places its size.
  • 87% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 85% of places its size.
  • Unemployment averaged 8.6% over the survey period, higher than in 81% of places its size.
01

Moving to South Cleveland

Bradley County gains about 12.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,808
Moved out4,744
Net+1,064

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Hamilton County, TN1,2451,084+161
Polk County, TN286359−73
Meigs County, TN128154−26
Knox County, TN84113−29

Within Tennessee, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TennesseeOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$58K
Leavers$52K

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

Who moves here
6.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Bradley County report $57,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$41,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,030 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,395 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $232,600.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 7.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
East Milton, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people6
12.1
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out6
$52,360
25% below the median place
Income of households moving in6
$57,525
18% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.2%8% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.9%45% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure12.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$57,52518% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$52,36025% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 19.7%, 61% below the median place.

South Cleveland18.6%
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
$41,200
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.6%
9% below the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
8% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$58,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Cleveland, $1,030 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like South Cleveland, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Spring Valley, IL15.6% vs 18.6%n/aCompare
Cut Off, LA14.6% vs 18.6%n/aCompare
Plaquemine, LA15.2% vs 18.6%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Cleveland? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
19.7%
61% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
58% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$883
73% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,03025% below
Rent to income118.6%9% below
Property tax rate10.4%58% below
Home price to income13.5x8% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure88.113% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,27021% below
Property tax paid (median)1$88373% below
Median home value1$232,60027% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.7%16% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure66.0%28% above
Homeownership187.1%31% above
Renters paying 30%+119.7%61% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,39525% below
Vacant homes18.6%21% above
Median year built119860% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 8.6%, 76% above the median place.

Unemployment1
8.6%
76% above the median place
Income per person1
$29,812
26% below the median place
Works from home1
7.4%
40% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute22 min −10%
Median household income$66,601 −17%
Poverty rate10.2% −5%
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$66,60117% below
Income per person1$29,81226% below
Unemployment18.6%76% above
Average annual pay5County figure$57,02014% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.9%32% above
Jobs5County figure40,03373% below
Poverty rate110.2%5% below
Mean commute122 min10% below
Works from home17.4%40% below
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 11.1%, 65% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
11.1%
65% below the median place
Born abroad1
4.6%
47% below the median place
Median age1
42.0
8% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance8.3% +30%
Household size2.4 −3%
High school or higher93.0% +1%
Homes with broadband92.3% −0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,4525171st largest
Median age142.08% above
Bachelor's or higher111.1%65% below
High school or higher193.0%1% above
Household size12.43% below
Born abroad14.6%47% below
No health insurance18.3%30% above
Homes with broadband192.3%0% below
05

Life in South Cleveland

The nearest National Park Service site is Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, about 23 miles away.

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.7 −74%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
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

  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park 23 miles
  • Russell Cave National Monument 52 miles
  • Little River Canyon National Preserve 60 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.3 −17%
Shops34.0 +12%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.5 −39%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.1 −15%
Child care centers2.9 +26%

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

Nearest National Park Service site9
23.0
25% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
2.5
39% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
17.3
17% below the median place
All 17 schools and local life measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure27200% above
Public school students11County figure16,092229% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure17.317% below
Shops per 10k7County figure34.012% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure2.539% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure17.115% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.926% above
Parks per 10k82.774% below
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site923.025% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles920% above
National Register listings10County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 55.6 in, 27% above 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 South Cleveland. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation12
55.6 in
27% above the median place
Heat wave risk13
46.3
49% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
73.4
21% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureSouth ClevelandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure89°F2% above
January average low12County figure30°F19% above
Average temperature12County figure60°F9% above
Annual precipitation12County figure55.6 in27% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure73.421% below
Hurricane risk13County figure55.821% below
Tornado risk13County figure88.49% above
Wildfire risk13County figure47.223% below
Heat wave risk13County figure46.349% below
08

South Cleveland in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 15% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$845/mo (2024)$1,060/mo$870 to $1,290/mo+3.9%
Median household income$66,601 (2024)$84,500$71,000 to $99,500+4.0%
Median home value$232,600 (2024)$340,000$247,000 to $468,000+6.5%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

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

09

Places like South Cleveland

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

PlaceRentIncome
East Milton, FL$1,157$64,904Compare
Aransas Pass, TX$1,159$63,021Compare
Three Points, AZ$993$56,898Compare
South Valley, NM$954$58,224Compare
South Valley, NMThree Points, AZAransas Pass, TXEast Milton, FLSouth Cleveland, TNSouth ClevelandEast MiltonAransas PassThree PointsSouth ValleySouth ClevelandEast MiltonAransas PassThree PointsSouth Valley

Common questions

Is South Cleveland a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Only 20% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 106 Tennessee places. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 95% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 75 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Cleveland expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.6% 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 $232,600.

What salary do you need to live in South Cleveland?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $41,200 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to South Cleveland?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are East Milton, FL, Aransas Pass, TX, Three Points, AZ and South Valley, NM.

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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  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. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. 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 South Cleveland with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for South Cleveland itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/south-cleveland-tennessee

Citytistics. “South Cleveland, Tennessee.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-cleveland-tennessee/

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