Tullahoma receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sanford
Tullahoma
Opportunity
60 · Top 41%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs48 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs87 · Top 38%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs73 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Sanford | Tullahoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,478 | 21,103 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,586 | $60,979 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,130 | $30,238 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 949/sq mi | 900/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $245,400 | $251,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,052 | $886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.3% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.0% | 18.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 499 | 223 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.9 | 10.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.5% | 38.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 60.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.0 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Tullahoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Sanford, NC · Tullahoma, TN · How this is calculated: methodology