Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Carthage’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for safety. Carthage’s property crime rate is 21.2 per 1,000 residents, above both Tennessee’s towns (11.5) and U.S. towns (9.9). Its National Register listings include Smith County Courthouse and Cullum Mansion. Carthage has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Carthage beats most towns.
Smith County Courthouse
Census counts: 477 in 1870, a low of 327 in 1880, 2,291 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1848 and 2 maps from 1979 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Carthage is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carthage, 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 Carthage.
Most working residents leave Carthage for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Carthage grew to 1,613 in 2023, 337 more than in 2013. 8.3% of Carthage residents live below the poverty line, below the Tennessee town median (14%) and near the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Carthage | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Smith County school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Smith County High School, with 476 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 465 | B+ |
| Smith County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 476 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Carthage’s violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Carthage beats the Tennessee average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Carthage.
| Carthage | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 29% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 41% | 35% |
| What stands out | Carthage | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.7% | 16.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.3% | 9.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Carthage has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Carthage is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Carthage home is worth about $279,000, up 4.2% in a year, 16% below the Tennessee typical home. 63% of Carthage households own their home.
| Carthage | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $934 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Tennessee average. 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Tennessee.
| Carthage | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 38 years | 40 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 23% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across Tennessee, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Carthage | TN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.5% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.8% | 10% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.4% | 31.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.5% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 19.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 11.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,300, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 123 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carthage.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Carthage; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Carthage residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Where Carthage’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Carthage on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Carthage.
Town in Tennessee, United States
Carthage is a town in and the county seat of Smith County, Tennessee, United States; it is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Carthage had a population of 2,291. It is located on the Cumberland River, which was important to its early development. It is best known as the hometown of former U.S. Vice President and Senator Al Gore of the Democratic Party and his father, Senator Albert Gore, Sr. The younger Gore announced his 1988 and 2000 presidential bids, as well as his 1992 vice-presidential bid, from the steps of the Smith County Courthouse.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.
6 notable people were born here, including James Comer and Kristin Gore.
