Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tiptonville earns a D−, 171st of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $23K, and 38% of residents live below the poverty line. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. What it does well: 17% of its land is conserved. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Tiptonville, above both the Tennessee town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 1 of Tennessee’s 292 towns do worse. Tiptonville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns.
Where Tiptonville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Caldwell-Hopson House| Widest gap | Tiptonville | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.8% | 14.6% |
4,464 counted in 2010 and 3,976 in 2020; an estimated 3,333 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 16.2% since 2020, after 10.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Tiptonville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 946 in 1880, a low of 363 in 1890, 3,976 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 5 maps from 1925 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tiptonville, 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 Tiptonville.
Tiptonville fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Tennessee (mostly earthquakes).
40% of Tiptonville households own their home. No town among the 174 in Tennessee we compare has a lower median rent than Tiptonville. The typical Tiptonville home is worth about $110,000, up 2.7% in a year, 67% below the Tennessee typical home.
| Tiptonville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 40% | 66% | 73% |
| Median rent | $510 a month | $950 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Lake County school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Newton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 208 | – |
| Lake Co High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 209 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Against the 144 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tiptonville’s, it is less healthy than 76%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Tiptonville. Only 2 of the 176 Tennessee towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Tiptonville. 23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Tiptonville.
| Tiptonville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 19% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Tiptonville | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 8.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.8% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of Tennessee towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Tiptonville’s FEMA risk score is 91 of 100. Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tiptonville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake County Recreational Park | 0.4 mi | 12 |
| 2. Markham Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Tiptonville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Tiptonville is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 1,317 in 2013 to 967.
About one in 5 of Tiptonville’s working residents works in town. No town among the 177 in Tennessee we compare has a lower median household income than Tiptonville. Since 2013, Tiptonville has lost 350 jobs, to 967 in 2023.
| Tiptonville | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $23,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 19.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 64% of Tennessee’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Tiptonville; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Tiptonville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
3 notable people were born in Tiptonville.
Town in Tennessee, United States
Tiptonville is a town in and the county seat of Lake County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tiptonville had a population of 3,976. It is also home to the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum security prison.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tiptonville grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #171 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades D− for health, B− for safety and D for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Carl Perkins and Clifton Bledsoe Cates.
