South ClevelandTN
Public schools that outperform most of Tennessee. A town of 7,452 in Tennessee.
Is South Cleveland a good place to live?
South Cleveland’s best grade is for schools — its public schools beat four fifths of Tennessee towns on state tests and graduation. Its overall grade is B−, better than 54% of U.S. towns. That places it 42nd of 175 in Tennessee. It is strong on cost of living as well: a typical home costs about $233K, 3.5 years of the Cleveland metro’s $66K median household income. The weak point is health (C−) — CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. Walkability is weaker too. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. 11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in the town, below both the Tennessee town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES.
What makes South Cleveland stand out
Where South Cleveland beats most towns.
South Cleveland has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
6,912 counted in 2010 and 7,673 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How South Cleveland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far South Cleveland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to South Cleveland: who provides what
South Cleveland is unincorporated, so Bradley County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 South Cleveland.
South Cleveland pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, looks healthier within Tennessee than nationally and sends most of its workers to Cleveland and beyond.
For schools, South Cleveland earns an A−
That grade comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $233K.
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the Bradley County school district. Enrollment at South Cleveland’s public school: 493 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Fox Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 493 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
For health, South Cleveland earns a C−
Within Tennessee it is healthier than 56% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures.
12% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in South Cleveland. This Tennessee town tracks Tennessee closely on all 31 CDC measures. Among adults locally, 41% have obesity and 29% have been diagnosed with depression.
| South Cleveland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in three of South Cleveland’s working residents commute to Cleveland
South Cleveland has 657 jobs for its 3,193 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
The typical journey to work in South Cleveland is 22 minutes. Only 1% of working residents stay in South Cleveland for work; the rest commute out. Jobs based locally fell to 657 in 2023, 70 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Cleveland (33%), Chattanooga (25%) and Nashville (4%).
| South Cleveland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 12% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Low risk in South Cleveland, with tornadoes at the top
South Cleveland’s FEMA risk score stands at 26 of 100. Expected losses in South Cleveland break down as 30% from tornadoes and 27% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In South Cleveland, expect mild winters and hot summers
A winter brings about 1 inches of snow, with January nights at 30° and July afternoons at 89°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0% of South Cleveland is conserved land
2.3 miles of trail. South Cleveland’s trail density comes in at 0.2 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in South Cleveland sells for about $310K at the median
Homes sold in South Cleveland spent a median 52 days on the market. Among households here, 87% own their home. Sellers in South Cleveland got 98.5% of the asking price, typically.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lookout Mountain and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Cleveland. Close and well known come first.
32 mi MountainLookout Mountain
25 mi WaterfallRuby Falls40 mi CaveEllison's Cave
17 mi MuseumTennessee Valley Railroad Museum21 mi Theme parkLake Winnepesaukah
23 mi Zoo & aquariumTennessee AquariumPhoto credits
Lookout Mountain: Teke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: TVSRR at English Wikipedia. Photo by Jason Trew /TVSRR, Public domain · Tennessee Aquarium: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything we know about South Cleveland
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of South Cleveland
About 3 of every 100 South Cleveland residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
99% of working residents leave South Cleveland for work
Where South Cleveland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About South Cleveland
CDP in Tennessee, United States
South Cleveland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,673 at the 2020 census. The community is located directly south of the city of Cleveland, Tennessee. It is included in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 925 ft
South Cleveland’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with South Cleveland.
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Cleveland | #42 | B− | A− | — | A− | C− |
| Cleveland | #150 | D | C | D | C+ | C− |
| Wildwood Lake | #79 | C | B | — | A− | D |
| McDonald | — | — | — | — | — | — |
South Cleveland and Wildwood Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. McDonald isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Cleveland with a neighbor →
Questions about South Cleveland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Cleveland, TN a good place to live?
South Cleveland grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #42 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades C− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is South Cleveland, TN expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $233,000, 30% below the Tennessee typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.