Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Milan grades D overall, 141st among Tennessee's 175 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 95% of the country. The median household income is $44K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, its schools rank ahead of 72% of Tennessee towns. Milan has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Browning House and US Post Office. Milan reports more crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns, including 41 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Milan's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Milan beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Milan is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,600 in 1880, 8,171 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Milan, 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 Milan.
Milan is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
Against the 3,638 U.S. towns with household incomes like Milan’s, it is less healthy than 79%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of Milan adults smoke cigarettes, above both the Tennessee town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 16% of Milan adults have diabetes. Milan beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Milan | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Milan | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.7% | 16.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.2% | 14.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.3% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milan ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 846 | B+ |
| Milan High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 523 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
4.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Milan Exercise and Running Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Milan’s violent crime rate is 4.9 per 1,000 residents, above both Tennessee’s towns (2.6) and U.S. towns (1.6). The property crime rate in Milan is 17.6 per 1,000 residents. Milan reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less.
| Milan | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.6 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 3 years of the Jackson metro’s $61K median household income, the typical home (about $183K) costs less against local pay than in 93% of Tennessee towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. 63.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.8% across Tennessee.
The typical Milan home is worth about $183,000, up 1.6% in a year, 45% below the Tennessee typical home. 56% of households own their home in Milan.
| Milan | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $805 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 36 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Milan.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Milan has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Milan’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Milan’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Milan has added 695 jobs, to 4,626 in 2023. The top destinations are Jackson (24%), Humboldt (5%) and Memphis (4%).
| Milan | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Milan; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Milan residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
7 notable people were born in Milan.
City in Tennessee, United States
Milan ( MY-lin) is the largest city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Milan had a population of 8,171. It is home to the Milan Army Ammunition Plant, the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and several historical sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The city was the first in Tennessee to begin no-till farming and to fluoridate its drinking water. The Milan Endowment for Growth in Academics (MEGA) was the first private community financial endowment for public schools in Tennessee.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Milan grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #141 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($61,177 across the Jackson, TN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
7 notable people were born here, including John Marshall Stone and Bill Wright.
