Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety53#437/924
Economy27#680/925
Housing63#343/925
Health9#843/925
Healthcare29#653/923
Environment89#103/917
Education28#666/925
Infrastructure19#751/925
Community4#887/925
Leisure & amenities30#645/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cookeville, TN micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.45%
90/100Tennessee 0.52%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Median Air Quality Index · low30
90/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New homes permitted · high6.1 /1k
83/100Tennessee 5.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Property crime rate · low700 /100k
83/100Tennessee 1,637 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
81/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Grocery stores · high1.9 /10k
75/100Tennessee 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low42.6%
3/100Tennessee 67.9%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high21.6%
3/100Tennessee 22.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · high30.6%
3/100Tennessee 29.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high160 mi
6/100Tennessee 93 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · high20.6%
6/100Tennessee 21.0%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Median household income · low$55,380
14/100Tennessee $72,007United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
141,769 (2020) → 152,477 (2025)
+7.6%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 28% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+28 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
5.8 /1k (2020) → 10.2 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.5% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
1,688 /100k (2020) → 700 /100k (2025)
−59%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
51.3% (2019) → 42.5% (2023)
−8.8 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cookeville, TN micropolitan area improved on 10 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Property crime−59%1,688 /100k → 700 /100k
New businesses+77%5.8 /1k → 10.2 /1k
Broadband+13 points73.5% → 86.1%
Household income+32%$41,913 → $55,380
Overdose deaths−46%44.1 /100k → 23.6 /100k

Declined6

Uninsured+2.1 points10.4% → 12.6%
Homicides+13%3.4 /100k → 3.8 /100k
Libraries−5.9%0.5 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Firearm deaths+16%16.0 /100k → 18.6 /100k
Price / income+0.7×3.6× → 4.3×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Cookeville, TN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.0 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+9%	Improved	50%
Average commute time	24.4 min2015-2019	23.3 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Within the margin of error	89%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.8%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Broadband subscriptions	73.5%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	23.6%2015-2019	22.5%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Distance to an airport	66 mi2020	66 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	88%
Drug overdose deaths	44.1 /100k2020	23.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−46%	Improved	76%
Effective property tax rate	0.62%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	64%
Firearm deaths	16.0 /100k2020	18.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+16%	Declined	28%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+3.7%	Little change	65%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+0.7%	Little change	45%
High school diploma or higher	84.4%2015-2019	86.6%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Home price to income ratio	3.6×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	29%
Homicide rate	3.4 /100k2020	3.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+13%	Declined	14%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,0172019	$59,1442024	+31%	Improved	48%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4742015-2019	0.4652020-2024	−0.010	Within the margin of error	78%
Median household income	$41,9132015-2019	$55,3802020-2024	+32%	Improved	76%
New business applications	5.8 /1k2020	10.2 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	85%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	72%
Poverty rate	18.6%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Property crime rate	1,688 /100k2020	700 /100k2025	−59%	Improved	94%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−5.9%	Declined	21%
Rent as share of income	29.7%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Rent-burdened households	49.4%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Restaurants and bars	6.4 /10k2020	6.8 /10k2025	+6.3%	Improved	69%
Traffic deaths	16.5 /100k2015-2019	18.1 /100k2020-2024	+9.5%	Declined	46%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2020	3.7%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	47%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.4%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Declined	8%
Violent crime rate	233 /100k2020	197 /100k2025	−15%	Improved	49%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Cookeville, TN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cookeville, TN micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cookeville, TN micropolitan area itself moved +3.4 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

145,812 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

58,693 households (±569)

Cookeville, TN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k23%13,347
$25k–50k23%13,315
$50k–75k17%9,982

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

58,693 households (±569)

Cookeville, TN micropolitan area
United States share

Own68%40,058
Rent32%18,635

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

65,816 workers (±1,273)

Cookeville, TN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%52,520
Carpool8.4%5,508
Public transit0.2%†123

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Cookeville, TN micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cookeville, TN has 2,900 employer establishments, 196 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248), with 45,616 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,631. The Census Bureau also counts 12,810 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,900; 12,810 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 196; US 248
Paid employees: 45,616
Average annual pay: $45,631; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cookeville, TN by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	253	17.1	0.93×About typical	5,395	$19,329	59
Ambulatory health care services	244	16.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	3,094	$52,208	465
Specialty trade contractors	164	11.1	0.71×Fewer than typical	1,359	$56,986	1,376
Religious organizations	112	7.6	1.36×More than typical	822	$22,818	—
Limited-service restaurants	108	7.3	0.91×About typical	2,816	$17,280	21
Full-service restaurants	96	6.5	0.84×About typical	1,968	$23,216	22
Offices of physicians	95	6.4	0.99×About typical	884	$63,327	81
Lessors of real estate	91	6.1	0.50×Fewer than typical	225	$40,120	967
Gasoline stations	83	5.6	1.73×More than typical	623	$27,191	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	73	4.9	0.73×Fewer than typical	412	$37,748	1,176
Automotive repair and maintenance	70	4.7	0.94×About typical	496	$40,663	250
Building equipment contractors	70	4.7	0.78×Fewer than typical	854	$59,425	249

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 148,324 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $12M on contracts performed in Cookeville, TN micropolitan area: $78.79 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $12M; −49% vs FY2025
Per resident: $78.79; US $1,994
Sole-source: 69%; US 30%
Single offer: 25%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$8M66%
Department of the Air Force$3M25%
Department of the Navy$465.1K3.9%
Washington Headquarters Services$191.9K1.6%
Department of Energy$150.1K1.2%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$91.5K0.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$46.8K0.4%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$31.8K0.3%

Top recipients

APHENA PHARMA SOLUTIONS-TENNESSEE, LLC$7.2M60%
MINCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC$3M25%
RESEARCH ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.$1M8.3%
VALOR HEALTHCARE INC$371.1K3.1%
CONCOURSE FEDERAL GROUP LLC$284.4K2.4%

Spending by fiscal year

19.6MFY2017
17.1MFY2018
27.6MFY2019
20.4MFY2020
21.1MFY2021
28.7MFY2022
21.6MFY2023
22.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other support services · 5619$7.2M60%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$3M25%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$537.4K4.5%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$465.1K3.9%
Outpatient care centers · 6214$371.1K3.1%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416

Largest awards

PHARMACEUTICAL REPACKING SERVICES FOR CMOP NATIONAL (770)$7.2M
APHENA PHARMA SOLUTIONS-TENNESSEE, LLC· Putnam County, TN· Health & medical· May 1, 2026 – May 1, 2026· 36C77026N0032
COOKEVILLE AND HARRIMAN CBOC SERVICES - NO COST MODIFICATION FOR SPACE UTILIZATION IN THE COOKEVILLE CBOC.$6.4M
VALOR HEALTHCARE INC· Putnam County, TN· Health & medical· Jun 30, 2025 – Jun 12, 2026· 36C24925N0606
MODULAR OPERATIONALLY RESILIENT FUEL-FLEXIBLE EXTREME-EFFICIENCY UAS-ENGINE SYSTEM$3.6M
MINCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC· Putnam County, TN· Research & development· Sep 29, 2025 – May 6, 2026· FA239425CB056
THE PROPOSED AUGMENTED RIGGING ASSISTANCE FOR NON-RIGGERS (ARANR) SYSTEM LEVERAGES WEARABLE AUGMENTED REALITY TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE RIGGING CAPABILITIES OF NON-PARACHUTE RIGGER SOLDIERS

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cookeville, TN micropolitan area: $6,684 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1B; −3.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,684; US $12,955
Loan face value: $55.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$611.7M60%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$117.8M12%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$107.5M11%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$57.7M5.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$29.6M2.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$20.8M2.0%
93.600 · Head Start$12.8M1.3%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$8.3M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY$31.8M3.1%
COOKEVILLE, TN
LBJ & C DEVELOPMENT CORP$12M1.2%
COOKEVILLE, TN
TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$8M0.8%
NASHVILLE, TN
TN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES$7.1M0.7%
NASHVILLE, TN
HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$806.5M79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$133.3M13%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$22.7M2.2%
Administration for Children and Families$12.8M1.3%
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Highway Administration$8M

Assistance by fiscal year

897.1MFY2021
851.9MFY2022
905.4MFY2023
959MFY2024
1.1BFY2025
1BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Cookeville, TN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CookevillePrincipal city36,088

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Tennessee

Areas based in Tennessee, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M18260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Cookeville, TN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Cookeville, TN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Tennessee

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought