Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Atoka is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 48th of 175 in Tennessee, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is safety: crime is low: it reports less per resident than 70% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $90K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $348K for a typical one and 5.2 times the Memphis metro’s $66K median household income. Atoka’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, against 25 minutes in Tennessee’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Only 8 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a higher January low than Atoka.
Where Atoka beats most towns.
8,387 counted in 2010 and 10,008 in 2020; an estimated 10,645 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.3% since 2020, after 19.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Atoka is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 245 in 1920, 10,008 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atoka, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Atoka.
Atoka fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally, looks healthier within Tennessee than nationally and sends most of its workers to Memphis and beyond.
Atoka has 1,313 jobs for its 4,397 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 36.2 minutes, against 25.7 across Tennessee.
Most working residents leave Atoka for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Atoka has added 284 jobs, to 1,313 in 2023. 7% of Atoka residents live below the poverty line.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 15% | 9.5% | 11% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Tipton County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atoka Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 826 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
2.9 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Nancy Lane park, at 50 acres.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walker Park | 1 mi | 37 |
| 2. Pioneer Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 3. Nancy Lane park | 0.1 mi | 50 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 11.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 88% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 20 reported in 2025, 1.9 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Atoka is 4 per 1,000 residents.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Atoka has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Atoka’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 12% of residents (17% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Atoka. Atoka has grown 6.3% since 2020, to 10,645 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 40 years | 40.5 years |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Tennessee, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Atoka | TN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.7% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.1% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.9% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 10% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.3% | 31.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25% | 19.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 11.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Tennessee it is healthier than 73% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures. Against the 9,978 U.S. towns with household incomes like Atoka’s, it is less healthy than 72%, so it trails even them.
Atoka beats the Tennessee average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Atoka | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.7% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.4% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 2009, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Atoka.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Atoka home is worth about $348,000, about the same as a year ago, 5% above the Tennessee typical home.
| Atoka | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,237 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Atoka; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Atoka residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
Where Atoka’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States
Atoka () is a town in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States. In 1888, Atoka was a stop on the Newport News & Mississippi Valley Railroad. Today the City of New Orleans Amtrak passenger train makes its daily route between New Orleans and Chicago, through Atoka. The population was 10,008 at the 2020 census, making the Town of Atoka the largest municipality in Tipton County. Historians and genealogists can trace Atoka's origins back to the 1838 charter of Portersville. Atoka adopted Portersville's charter as its own. World War I Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Joseph B. Adkison lived in Atoka, and he is buried nearby. Five public parks exist within the town limits. The town has grown significa…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Atoka.
Brighton reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Atoka with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Atoka grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #48 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.