Dickson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Dickson
Lebanon
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 16%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 46%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 41%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
68 · Top 30%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs58 · Bottom 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Dickson | Lebanon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,424 | 44,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,678 | $72,848 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,285 | $37,959 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 800/sq mi | 1,101/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $292,600 | $378,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,063 | $1,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.7% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 136 | 1,062 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 23.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -52.8% | -6.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.1" | 50.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 39 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 29.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.8 | 35.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.6% | 31.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.4% | 27.4% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Dickson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind.
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Dickson, TN · Lebanon, TN · How this is calculated: methodology