Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,589, settled in 1811.
Centerville gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $243K, 2.8 years of the Nashville metro’s $85K median household income. It grades B− overall, 56th among Tennessee's 175 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 89% of the country and its schools rank behind 82% of the state's. Only 12 of Tennessee’s 155 towns score higher on safety. John Gordon House and James Buchanan Walker House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 4 of Tennessee’s 232 towns score higher on civic life.
Where Centerville beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Centerville is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D for health (better than 11%), so the B− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 251 in 1860, a low of 175 in 1870, 3,532 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Centerville, 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 Centerville.
Centerville trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Tennessee.
Within Tennessee it is less healthy than 63% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
45% of Centerville adults have high blood pressure, where Tennessee’s towns sit at 41% and U.S. towns at 35%. 18% of Centerville adults report frequent physical distress. Centerville beats the Tennessee average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Centerville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Centerville | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 13.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.5% | 76.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Hickman County school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Hickman Co Sr High School, with 410 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centerville ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 395 | – |
| Hickman Co Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 410 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
At 10.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 93% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 1.7 per 1,000 residents.
At 3.4 per 1,000 residents, Centerville’s property crime rate is below both Tennessee’s towns (11.5) and U.S. towns (9.9).
| Centerville | 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) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Centerville River Park, at 30 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Centerville River Park | — | 30 |
| 2. Doyle and Fay Bowen Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 14 |
| 3. C.A. Thompson Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $243K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles. At 2.8 years of the Nashville metro’s $85K median household income, the typical home (about $243K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of Tennessee towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
The typical Centerville home is worth about $243,000, up 2.4% in a year, 26% below the Tennessee typical home. Centerville’s median rent is $907 a month.
| Centerville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $907 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Dickson weather station, 17 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 195 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 76% of Tennessee places with climate records.
Centerville has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 28° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,305 working residents takes 33.6 minutes, against 25.7 across Tennessee.
About one in 4 of Centerville’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Centerville is 34 minutes. Jobs based in Centerville grew to 1,901 in 2023, 147 more than in 2013.
| Centerville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.6% | 14% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Centerville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Centerville; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Centerville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Town in Tennessee, United States
Centerville is a town in Hickman County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,489 as of the 2020 Census. It is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Hickman County. It is best known for being the hometown of American comedian Minnie Pearl.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Centerville grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #56 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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+.