Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Tennessee

Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Martin, TN had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 65 cities in 2022, at 28.5%. Nolensville, TN had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 14.7% and the figure for Tennessee was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest28.5Martin, TN
Lowest1.6Nolensville, TN
Median14.765 cities
Tennessee14History

Top 40 cities, 2022

Martin, TN: 28.5 %Martin, TN28.5Lawrenceburg, TN: 27.4 %Lawrenceburg, TN27.4Morristown, TN: 25.7 %Morristown, TN25.7Paris, TN: 25.2 %Paris, TN25.2Lewisburg, TN: 24.7 %Lewisburg, TN24.7Memphis, TN: 23.6 %Memphis, TN23.6Jackson, TN: 22.9 %Jackson, TN22.9McMinnville, TN: 21.7 %McMinnville, TN21.7Johnson City, TN: 21.7 %Johnson City, TN21.7Cookeville, TN: 21.5 %Cookeville, TN21.5Union City, TN: 21.5 %Union City, TN21.5Springfield, TN: 21.3 %Springfield, TN21.3Dyersburg, TN: 21.2 %Dyersburg, TN21.2Knoxville, TN: 20.7 %Knoxville, TN20.7Elizabethton, TN: 20.6 %Elizabethton, TN20.6Crossville, TN: 20.5 %Crossville, TN20.5Kingsport, TN: 20.2 %Kingsport, TN20.2Athens, TN: 19.1 %Athens, TN19.1Shelbyville, TN: 18.1 %Shelbyville, TN18.1Tullahoma, TN: 18 %Tullahoma, TN18Lenoir City, TN: 17.9 %Lenoir City, TN17.9Bristol, TN: 17.7 %Bristol, TN17.7Cleveland, TN: 17.3 %Cleveland, TN17.3Greeneville, TN: 17 %Greeneville, TN17Chattanooga, TN: 16.9 %Chattanooga, TN16.9Manchester, TN: 16.5 %Manchester, TN16.5East Ridge, TN: 15.8 %East Ridge, TN15.8Millington, TN: 15.6 %Millington, TN15.6Sevierville, TN: 15.4 %Sevierville, TN15.4Winchester, TN: 15.4 %Winchester, TN15.4Dickson, TN: 15.2 %Dickson, TN15.2Oak Ridge, TN: 14.7 %Oak Ridge, TN14.7Lebanon, TN: 14.7 %Lebanon, TN14.7Nashville, TN: 14.5 %Nashville, TN14.5Clinton, TN: 13.5 %Clinton, TN13.5Gallatin, TN: 13.4 %Gallatin, TN13.4Clarksville, TN: 12.9 %Clarksville, TN12.9Red Bank, TN: 12.7 %Red Bank, TN12.7Columbia, TN: 12.5 %Columbia, TN12.5Portland, TN: 12.4 %Portland, TN12.4Martin, TN: 28.5 %Martin, TN28.5Lawrenceburg, TN: 27.4 %Lawrenceburg, TN27.4Morristown, TN: 25.7 %Morristown, TN25.7Paris, TN: 25.2 %Paris, TN25.2Lewisburg, TN: 24.7 %Lewisburg, TN24.7Memphis, TN: 23.6 %Memphis, TN23.6Jackson, TN: 22.9 %Jackson, TN22.9McMinnville, TN: 21.7 %McMinnville, TN21.7Johnson City, TN: 21.7 %Johnson City, TN21.7Cookeville, TN: 21.5 %Cookeville, TN21.5Union City, TN: 21.5 %Union City, TN21.5Springfield, TN: 21.3 %Springfield, TN21.3Dyersburg, TN: 21.2 %Dyersburg, TN21.2Knoxville, TN: 20.7 %Knoxville, TN20.7Elizabethton, TN: 20.6 %Elizabethton, TN20.6Crossville, TN: 20.5 %Crossville, TN20.5Kingsport, TN: 20.2 %Kingsport, TN20.2Athens, TN: 19.1 %Athens, TN19.1Shelbyville, TN: 18.1 %Shelbyville, TN18.1Tullahoma, TN: 18 %Tullahoma, TN18Lenoir City, TN: 17.9 %Lenoir City, TN17.9Bristol, TN: 17.7 %Bristol, TN17.7Cleveland, TN: 17.3 %Cleveland, TN17.3Greeneville, TN: 17 %Greeneville, TN17Chattanooga, TN: 16.9 %Chattanooga, TN16.9Manchester, TN: 16.5 %Manchester, TN16.5East Ridge, TN: 15.8 %East Ridge, TN15.8Millington, TN: 15.6 %Millington, TN15.6Sevierville, TN: 15.4 %Sevierville, TN15.4Winchester, TN: 15.4 %Winchester, TN15.4Dickson, TN: 15.2 %Dickson, TN15.2Oak Ridge, TN: 14.7 %Oak Ridge, TN14.7Lebanon, TN: 14.7 %Lebanon, TN14.7Nashville, TN: 14.5 %Nashville, TN14.5Clinton, TN: 13.5 %Clinton, TN13.5Gallatin, TN: 13.4 %Gallatin, TN13.4Clarksville, TN: 12.9 %Clarksville, TN12.9Red Bank, TN: 12.7 %Red Bank, TN12.7Columbia, TN: 12.5 %Columbia, TN12.5Portland, TN: 12.4 %Portland, TN12.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Martin, TN28.5-0.7 pts
2Lawrenceburg, TN27.4-0.7 pts
3Morristown, TN25.7+0.3 pts
4Paris, TN25.2-2 pts
5Lewisburg, TN24.7+4.2 pts
6Memphis, TN23.6-0.6 pts
7Jackson, TN22.9-0.8 pts
8McMinnville, TN21.7-6 pts
9Johnson City, TN21.7+0.1 pts
10Cookeville, TN21.5-0.2 pts
11Union City, TN21.5-3.7 pts
12Springfield, TN21.3-2.4 pts
13Dyersburg, TN21.2-2.5 pts
14Knoxville, TN20.7-0.6 pts
15Elizabethton, TN20.6-1 pts
16Crossville, TN20.5-1.7 pts
17Kingsport, TN20.2-0.5 pts
18Athens, TN19.1-3 pts
19Shelbyville, TN18.1-0.9 pts
20Tullahoma, TN18+0.8 pts
21Lenoir City, TN17.9+0.1 pts
22Bristol, TN17.7-1.9 pts
23Cleveland, TN17.3-0.7 pts
24Greeneville, TN17+2.1 pts
25Chattanooga, TN16.9-0.7 pts
26Manchester, TN16.5+0.1 pts
27East Ridge, TN15.8+0.3 pts
28Millington, TN15.6-2.5 pts
29Sevierville, TN15.4-3.6 pts
30Winchester, TN15.4+0.2 pts
31Dickson, TN15.2-2.1 pts
32Oak Ridge, TN14.7+0.1 pts
33Lebanon, TN14.7+0.1 pts
34Nashville, TN14.50 pts
35Clinton, TN13.5-1.5 pts
36Gallatin, TN13.4-1.1 pts
37Clarksville, TN12.9-0.3 pts
38Red Bank, TN12.7-1 pts
39Columbia, TN12.5+0.1 pts
40Portland, TN12.4-1.9 pts
41Smyrna, TN11.8-0.1 pts
42Alcoa, TN11.7+1.3 pts
43Murfreesboro, TN11.6-0.6 pts
44Hartsville, TN11.5-1.1 pts
45Fairview, TN11.3+1.2 pts
46Goodlettsville, TN11+0.8 pts
47La Vergne, TN10.1-1.1 pts
48Maryville, TN8.3-0.1 pts
49Atoka, TN8.3+4 pts
50Collegedale, TN8.1-2.7 pts
51Soddy-Daisy, TN7.8-0.5 pts
52Hendersonville, TN6.9-0.2 pts
53Arlington, TN5.9-0.2 pts
54Oakland, TN5.2-1 pts
55Franklin, TN5.10 pts
56Lakeland, TN4.9-0.9 pts
57Bartlett, TN4.90 pts
58Mount Juliet, TN4.8-0.9 pts
59White House, TN4.6-1 pts
60Spring Hill, TN3.4+0.9 pts
61Collierville, TN2.7-0.2 pts
62Germantown, TN2.40 pts
63Farragut, TN2.4-0.9 pts
64Brentwood, TN2.4-0.2 pts
65Nolensville, TN1.6+0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_tennessee_by_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-cities?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Martin, TN, with 28.5% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Nolensville, TN, with 1.6% in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Tennessee: more rankings