Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Good value, with catches elsewhere. Overall, South Pittsburg earns a C, which places it 81st of 175 in Tennessee. Set against the rest, it does better than 33% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Cost of living is its strong suit (A+): a typical home costs about $175K, 2.4 years of the Chattanooga metro’s $72K median household income. Add safety to its strengths: it reports less crime per resident than 71% of U.S. towns. It also trails on incomes — the median household income is $58K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. This Tennessee town has 8 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them South Pittsburg Historic District and First National Bank of the town.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FBI crime data, 2025 · health, CDC PLACES · National Register of Historic Places.
Where South Pittsburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Christ Episcopal Church and Parish House (Additional Documentation)| Widest gap | South Pittsburg | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25% | 14.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far South Pittsburg is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 4%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,045 in 1880, 3,106 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1936 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Pittsburg, 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 South Pittsburg.
South Pittsburg trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
The nearest emergency room, Southern Tennessee Regional Health System Winchest, is 24 miles away in a straight line.
The share of adults in South Pittsburg who get no exercise outside work: 33%. Among adults locally, 45% have high blood pressure, against 41% in Tennessee’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 22% of adults in South Pittsburg smoke cigarettes; 18% report frequent physical distress.
| South Pittsburg | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | South Pittsburg | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25% | 14.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 23.5% | 16.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The largest public high school is South Pittsburg High School, with 416 students. The Marion County school district runs its public schools. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pittsburg ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 515 | B |
| South Pittsburg High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 416 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $175K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles. At 2.4 years of the Chattanooga metro’s $72K median household income, the typical home (about $175K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Tennessee towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
The typical home value in South Pittsburg is about $175,000, up 0.7% in a year, 47% below the Tennessee typical home. Among households locally, 66% are owner-occupiers, where Tennessee’s towns sit at 65% and U.S. towns at 73%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 11.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 89% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Reported crimes rose from 11 to 19 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
South Pittsburg’s violent offense rate comes in at 4.1 per 1,000 residents. Among 134 Tennessee towns, just 5 have a lower property crime rate than South Pittsburg.
| South Pittsburg | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
For South Pittsburg, the typical July afternoon high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 10% of working residents stay in South Pittsburg for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Chattanooga (27%), Jasper (11%) and Kimball (10%). The mean commuting time in the town is 26 minutes.
| South Pittsburg | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 27 claims in South Pittsburg since 1980. 44% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 23%. Federal aid has come to South Pittsburg households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Just 17 of its 5,239 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in South Pittsburg itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
Parks and preserves in South Pittsburg: one, of 12 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Loyd Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Pittsburg. Close and well known come first.
21 mi MountainLookout Mountain
21 mi WaterfallRuby Falls
6 mi Park & preserveNickajack Cave31 mi CaveEllison's Cave
6 mi National MonumentRussell Cave National Monument8K visitors a year
23 mi Zoo & aquariumTennessee AquariumLookout Mountain: Teke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nickajack Cave: Blueway, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Russell Cave National Monument: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tennessee Aquarium: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of South Pittsburg; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 South Pittsburg residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
8 places in South Pittsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in South Pittsburg.
City in Tennessee, United States
South Pittsburg is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,106 at the 2020 census. South Pittsburg is home to the National Cornbread Festival.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with South Pittsburg.
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Pittsburg | #81 | C | A+ | B+ | C | D− |
| Kimball | — | — | A+ | C | C | D |
Kimball has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare South Pittsburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Pittsburg grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #81 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D− for health, B+ for safety and C 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+.
3 notable people were born here, including Jobyna Ralston and Harry Baumgartner.
