Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pulaski earns a D, 143rd of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $49K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns, including 29 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. It also has a long history, with 20 places on the National Register. 34% of working residents work locally in Pulaski, against 12% in Tennessee’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Original Church of God and Clifton Place. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates.
Where Pulaski beats most towns.
Brown-Daly-Horne House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee Southern | 927 |
Census counts: 1,137 in 1850, 8,397 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1855 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Pulaski is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pulaski, 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 Pulaski.
Pulaski trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, draws workers from Lawrenceburg and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
6,911 jobs are based in Pulaski, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 3 of Pulaski’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Pulaski grew to 6,911 in 2023, 445 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Nashville (9%), Lawrenceburg (5%) and Columbia (4%).
| Pulaski | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7% | 9.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Giles County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Giles Co High School, with 688 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 471 | – |
| Giles Co High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 688 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 272 to 207 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Pulaski is 21.7 per 1,000 residents. Pulaski reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. The violent crime rate in Pulaski is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Pulaski | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.7 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 5,223 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pulaski’s, it is less healthy than 60%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Tennessee it is less healthy than 56% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Pulaski. Pulaski beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Pulaski.
| Pulaski | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 41% | 35% |
| What stands out | Pulaski | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.3% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $247K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles.
The typical Pulaski home is worth about $247,000, up 1.1% in a year, 25% below the Tennessee typical home. 47% of Pulaski households own their home.
| Pulaski | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Pulaski has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Pulaski’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pulaski.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.2 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sam Davis Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Magazine Road Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Sharewood Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pulaski
About 10 of every 100 Pulaski residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
Where Pulaski’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
17 places in Pulaski on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Pulaski.
City in Tennessee, United States
Pulaski is a city in Giles County and the county seat of Giles County, which is located on the central-southern border of Tennessee, United States. The population was 8,397 at the 2020 census. It was named after Casimir Pulaski, a noted Polish-born general on the Patriot side in the American Revolutionary War.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pulaski grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #143 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($62,307 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
11 notable people were born here, including John Crowe Ransom and Walter Herschel Beech.
