Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Harriman gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $241K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Knoxville metro’s $72K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 120th of 175 in Tennessee. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country, and its police reported 38 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. Harriman’s violent crime rate is 6 per 1,000 residents, above both Tennessee’s towns (2.6) and U.S. towns (1.6). Only 19 of Tennessee’s 292 towns score higher on walkability. Harriman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns.
Where Harriman beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Harriman is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 716 in 1890, a peak of 8,734 in 1970, 5,892 in 2020. The archive holds 20 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 6 maps from 1935 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Harriman, 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 Harriman.
Harriman trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and trades workers with Knoxville and other neighbors.
23% of Harriman adults smoke cigarettes. Harriman beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 19% of Harriman adults report frequent physical distress.
| Harriman | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 29% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Harriman | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.6% | 8.6% |
| More smokers | 23.3% | 17.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Roane County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Harriman High School, with 354 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowers ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 524 | C+ |
| Harriman High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 354 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Harriman reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. Harriman’s property crime rate is 15.3 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Harriman | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverfront Park | 0.7 mi | 9 |
| 2. Killeffer Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
| 3. Mid-East Community Playground | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $241K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles.
The median rent in Harriman is $763 a month. Typical home values rose 4.6% in the year to September 2026. 61% of households own their home in Harriman.
| Harriman | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $763 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 61% | 66% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Harriman has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 29° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Harriman has about as many jobs (2,791) as working residents, but only 196 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Harriman for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Harriman grew to 2,791 in 2023, 434 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Knoxville (15%), Oak Ridge (14%) and Kingston (5%).
| Harriman | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.9% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Harriman.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Harriman. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaNeyland Stadium
36 mi LookoutSunsphere
14 mi State parkFrozen Head State Park
9 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
28 mi CaveCraighead CavernsGreat Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Neyland Stadium: Neomrbungle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sunsphere: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Frozen Head State Park: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 3.0 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Craighead Caverns: Brenda, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Harriman
About 2 of every 100 Harriman residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
4 places in Harriman on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Harriman.
City in Tennessee, United States
Harriman is a city located primarily in Roane County, Tennessee, United States, with a small extension into Morgan County. The population of Harriman was 5,892 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Harriman.
Midtown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Midtown reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Harriman with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Harriman grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #120 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D− for health, D for safety and B− 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−.
4 notable people were born here, including Dixie Lee and Alma Bazel Androzzo.
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