Gates-88-209-tn, 2018
Gates’s story
176 years in pictures
Census counts: 204 in 1890, a low of 167 in 1900, 664 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 4 maps from 1939 on.
- 1850Gates is established
GatesTN
A town of 645, established in 1850.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
645
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$136K
+15% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
35.5
years
Jobs based here
52
A commuter town
Is Gates a good place to live?
29% of residents live below the poverty line in Gates, against 14% in Tennessee’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Among 178 Tennessee towns, just 1 have a lower share of households owning their home than Gates. Gates has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Gates stand out
Where Gates beats most towns.
Small town
645 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
HallsGates
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gates: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gates, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of Ripley13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGates Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gates’ 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 hereLauderdale County Election CommissionLauderdale County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3803738037 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 Gates.
Housing
Gates’ typical home value is about $136K
The typical Gates home is worth about $136,000, up 15% in a year, 59% below the Tennessee typical home.
$136KZillow home value
Typical home value
Gates$136K
Tennessee$331K
+15%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Gates faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Gates’ workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Gates for work: only 1% work in town. At 35 minutes, Gates’ average trip to work is above both Tennessee’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Gates has lost 65 jobs, to 52 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Gates | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Gates1%
Ripley21%
Dyersburg12%
Jackson9%
Halls8%
19 mi
median commute distance
52
jobs based in Gates
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Gates, expect mild winters and hot summers
Gates has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Gates is 90°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–50°
Spring49–71°
Summer69–89°
Fall50–72°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Gates’ adults sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Tennessee or U.S. town
47% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Gates. Gates beats the Tennessee average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Gates.
| Gates | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
1 better17 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Gates | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 20.3% | 13.3% |
Lauderdale Community Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gates
16pages on Gates
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Gates
About 9 of every 100 Gates residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Gates for work
Where Gates’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
52jobs based in Gates
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gates
Town in Tennessee, United States
Gates is a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Gates had a population of 664.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 312 ft
- ZIP code
- 38037
- Area code
- 731
Questions about Gates
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gates, TN a good place to live?
Gates has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.