Bradford-bank, 1919
Bradford’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 222 in 1890, 1,001 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1877 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
- 1874Bradford is settled
BradfordTN
A town of 1,006, settled in 1874.
Mt. Zion Negro School · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,006
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$169K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Jobs based here
202
A commuter town
Is Bradford a good place to live?
The best of Bradford’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Bradford, against 14% in Tennessee’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 91% of U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 23 of Tennessee’s 292 towns do worse. Bradford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. Bradford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bradford stand out
Where Bradford beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,006 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Bradford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Bradford is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income202 jobs based hereDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 5.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →HealthWest Tennessee Healthcare Milan Hospital 11.6 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bradford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bradford, and how to reach them.
PowerWeakley County Mun Elec Sys12.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGibson Co Muni Water Dist #4No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bradford’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGibson County Election CommissionGibson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3831638316 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bradford.
HealthD
Residents of Bradford are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns
Bradford beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 21% of Bradford adults smoke cigarettes, above both Tennessee’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (14%). 30% of Bradford adults have been diagnosed with depression.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Bradford | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 29% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
0 better27 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Bradford | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8.6% |
| More smokers | 21.3% | 17.3% |
West Tennessee Healthcare Milan Hospital
11.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Public schools in Bradford beat 69% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Bradford school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Bradford High School, with 319 students.
69%of TN districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 311 | A− |
| Bradford High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 319 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in Bradford is valued at about $169K
The typical Bradford home is worth about $169,000, up 2.6% in a year, 49% below the Tennessee typical home. The median rent in Bradford is $740 a month.
$169KZillow home value
| Bradford | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $740 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 66% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bradford$169K
Tennessee$331K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Bradford faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bradford.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1998
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Bradford has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Bradford for work: only 7% work in town. Bradford’s median household income is $47,000. The top destinations are Jackson (18%), Milan (14%) and Union City (6%).
7%work in town
| Bradford | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.7% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bradford7%
Jackson18%
Milan14%
Union City6%
Trenton5%
23 mi
median commute distance
202
jobs based in Bradford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Bradford has mild winters and hot summers
Bradford has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 29° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–49°
Spring48–70°
Summer67–88°
Fall49–72°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bradford
17pages on Bradford
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bradford; the nearest are
Bethel UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · McKenzie17.3 mi$18,712 tuitionThe University of Tennessee-MartinUniversity or college · Public · Martin18.6 mi$10,560 in-state tuitionJackson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Jackson29.7 mi$4,740 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Bradford residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Bradford for work
Where Bradford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
202jobs based in Bradford
7%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bradford
Town in Tennessee, United States
Bradford is a town in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bradford had a population of 1,001.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 364 ft
- ZIP code
- 38316
- Area code
- 731
Questions about Bradford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bradford, TN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.