Smithville, Tennessee

Population

Growing. Up 11.4% since 2020.

5,620

people, the 100th-largest of Tennessee's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Tennessee's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

9 in 10 jobs here go to people who live somewhere else.

85.4%

of 3,719 jobs located in Smithville are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 59% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$740

a month. Tennessee's median is $1,189.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent jumps $422.

A $422 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in DeKalb County.

• $735 Tract 9203
• $1,157 Tract 9201.01

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

Local wages can carry more rent than the median charged today.

$1,034–$1,551

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $740 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

71% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 203 homes permitted, 2022–2025
• 0% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 71% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2022–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.4–1.6% to the 2,356 homes here.

10–37

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 32% less than Tennessee's.

$194,200

median home value in Smithville.

• $194,200 Smithville
• $286,700 Tennessee
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census ACS 5-year