Gallatin vs Lenoir City

Which is the better fit for you?

Gallatin, TN
67
Area Score
Top 21% nationally
Lenoir City, TN
65
Area Score
Top 29% nationally

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Gallatin receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Gallatin to Lenoir City

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Everyday prices
5% lower
Regional price level 92.2 against 97.0 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$206 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,345 in Lenoir City against $1,551 in Gallatin.
The median home
32% less
$252,400 in Lenoir City against $372,000 in Gallatin.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F colder
Normal January lows are 29°F in Lenoir City against 30°F in Gallatin; July highs are 87°F against 91°F (summers 4°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

34 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Gallatin
Lenoir City
Opportunity: Gallatin is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
77 · Top 13%
vs
69 · Top 26%
Growth: Gallatin is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
69 · Top 16%
vs
66 · Top 21%
Climate: Lenoir City is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs
77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience: Lenoir City is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 41%
vs
49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability: Gallatin is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 40%
vs
54 · Bottom 26%
Schools: Lenoir City is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
73 · Top 21%
vs
77 · Top 16%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs
87 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability: Gallatin is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 43%
vs
39 · Bottom 21%

Measured values

MetricGallatinLenoir CitySource period
Population48,53211,1102024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$77,518 — more favorable$67,2592024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$43,492 — more favorable$32,9362024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,377/sq mi1,288/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$372,000$252,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,395$932 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,551$1,345 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index97.092.2 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate57.1%63.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.1%3.1%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.5% — more favorable−0.8%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher33.5% — more favorable19.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate11.6% ±3%16.8% ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)7038012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents14.5 — more favorable7.212 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−69.1%−85.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high91°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low30°F29°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation50.5"59.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport21 mi16 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute29.1 min23.3 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.640.02024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools1662024-25 school year
Math proficiency48.7%50.6% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency41.9%42.6% — more favorable2018-19 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.

One row above shows both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Gallatin

Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.

Lenoir City

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Gallatin
—
Gallatin: Your Score
67
Area Score
Lenoir City
—
Lenoir City: Your Score
65
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Gallatin, TN · Lenoir City, TN · How this is calculated: methodology