Atoka TN 38004, 2005
Brighton’s story
153 years in pictures
Census counts: 104 in 1880, 2,888 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1873Brighton is settled
BrightonTN
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com) · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,892
2025 Census estimate · +0.4% since 2020
Typical home
$267K
+0.6% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
461
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#100 of 175 in TN
Is Brighton a good place to live?
Brighton grades C overall, 100th of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 83% of the country. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 67% of Tennessee towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $81K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $267K, 4 years of the Memphis metro’s $66K median household income. Brighton’s average trip to work is 32 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 79% of U.S. towns. Brighton has 1 place on the National Register.
What makes Brighton stand out
Where Brighton beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Brighton for work
Where Brighton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
461jobs based in Brighton
2%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Brighton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Brighton is from typical.
HealthBaptist Memorial Hospital Tipton 5 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 4.5% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & incomeCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landDOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.4; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brighton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brighton, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthwest Tennessee E M C13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrighton Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTipton County LandfillIn townOpenStreetMap
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 hereTipton County Election CommissionTipton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3801138011 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 Brighton.
Brighton looks healthier within Tennessee than nationally, but it has little public open land.
HealthC−
Brighton earns a C− for health
Within Tennessee it is less healthy than 52% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
22% of Brighton adults report frequent mental distress. Brighton beats the Tennessee average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 44% of Brighton adults have obesity.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Brighton | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 29% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
3 better26 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Brighton | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.7% | 7% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 72.2% | 76.2% |
Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton
5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
48th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Brighton earns a B+ for schools
Its public schools are run by the Tipton County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brighton High School, with 1,031 students.
67%of TN districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 745 | B |
| Brighton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,031 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Brighton’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Brighton for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Brighton has added 41 jobs, to 461 in 2023. The top destinations are Memphis (38%), Covington (13%) and Millington (5%).
2%work in town
| Brighton | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Brighton2%
Memphis38%
Covington13%
Millington5%
Bartlett5%
25 mi
median commute distance
461
jobs based in Brighton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 21% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Brighton, expect mild winters and hot summers
Brighton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Brighton’s July high is 90°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–51°
Spring51–71°
Summer69–89°
Fall51–73°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Mar 27
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
Brighton earns a B for cost of living
The typical Brighton home is worth about $267,000, up 0.6% in a year, 19% below the Tennessee typical home. 78% of households own their home in Brighton.
$267KZillow home value
| Brighton | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,204 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brighton$267K
Tennessee$331K
+0.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Safety
Crime reported in Brighton
Brighton's reported crime rate is well below Tennessee's. The property crime rate in Brighton is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Brighton | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brighton0.7
Tennessee5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brighton3.4
Tennessee16.6
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Earthquakes leads a moderate hazard risk in Brighton
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brighton.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
6
paid flood claims since 2010
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
0.6% of Brighton is conserved land
Just 12 of its 2,058 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Brighton itself; its outdoors grade is D.
0.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0.6%conserved
0.6%
conserved · 12 of 2,058 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brighton City Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Brighton Walking Path | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brighton
19pages on Brighton
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 67% of TN districts · 3 schoolsSafety0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TN on 3 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB$267K typical home · up 0.6% in a yearWork & commuteC$81K median household income · 461 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 56% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brighton; the nearest are
Southwest Tennessee Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Memphis23.3 mi$4,778 in-state tuitionUniversity of MemphisUniversity or college · Public · Memphis27.5 mi$10,728 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Brighton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
About Brighton
Town in Tennessee, United States
Brighton is a town in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Brighton had a population of 2,888.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 341 ft
- ZIP code
- 38011
- Area code
- 901
Brighton’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Brighton.
AtokaBrighton
How the neighbors grade
Brighton reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Brighton with a neighbor →
Questions about Brighton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brighton, TN a good place to live?
Brighton grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #100 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades C− for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Brighton, TN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.