Oak Ridge and Dickson receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Oak Ridge
Dickson
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs86 · Top 41%
Schools
70 · Top 27%
vs68 · Top 30%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Oak Ridge | Dickson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,693 | 16,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,311 | $69,678 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,285 | $37,285 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 383/sq mi | 800/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,200 | $292,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,131 | $1,063 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 61.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 220 | 136 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 8.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.1% | -52.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 59.7" | 54.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 30.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.6% | 40.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.2% | 36.4% | 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
Oak Ridge
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Dickson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Oak Ridge, TN · Dickson, TN · How this is calculated: methodology