City profile · Tennessee · Census ACS 2023

Murfreesboro, TN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Murfreesboro — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

157,547
Residents
$76,241
Median income
$365,100
Median home
$1,118
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Murfreesboro, TN

Murfreesboro is a city in Tennessee with a population of 157,547 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $76,241 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 5.8%. Typical homes in Murfreesboro are valued around $365,100, and the median resident age is 31.4 years. About 41.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 69.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,096 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 49% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2442.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.9°F with 55.9 inches of precipitation per year and 2.2 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Tennessee registers 91.9 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,118 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $218 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Murfreesboro report an average commute of 23.0 minutes, with 72.6% driving alone and 14.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 52.5 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

157,547 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Tennessee

Median Household Income

$76,241 /yr

Poverty 5.8%

Cost of Living Index

91.9 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Murfreesboro compare to other US cities?

Where Murfreesboro sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 57% higher than other cities
Home value 74% pricier than other cities
Median rent 34% pricier than other cities
Safety 23% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Murfreesboro against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Murfreesboro, TN Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Murfreesboro, TN. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Murfreesboro, TN — median $76,241/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Murfreesboro, TN — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 41.1%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.8%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 69.4%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
157,547
Median Income
$76,241
Median Home Value
$365,100
Median Age
31.4
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Labor force participation
69.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
41.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2442.2
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
420.0
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2022.2
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.9°F
Annual Precipitation
55.9"
Annual Snowfall
2.2"

Schools

Total Schools
32
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,096
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,026
detached homes
Multifamily
70
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2,154
2020 1,762
2021 2,376
2022 1,196
2023 1,320
2024 1,096

Permit volume decreased 49% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.0 minutes
Drive Alone
72.6%
Carpool
10.7%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
14.6%
Other
0.6%

Based on 85,581 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Tennessee — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$58
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$218
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Tennessee state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Tennessee state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
91.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,118/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
52.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Murfreesboro, TN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Murfreesboro, TN — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Murfreesboro compares to nearby Tennessee cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Murfreesboro) plus the nearest peer cities in Tennessee, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

TN

Murfreesboro

76.24% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$76,241
Brackets
158
Selected

TN

Clarksville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$17,190
Brackets
172
Selected

TN

Chattanooga

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$18,280
Brackets
183
Selected

TN

Knoxville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,370
Brackets
194
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TN FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Murfreesboro, TN?

What is the population of Murfreesboro, TN? +

Murfreesboro, TN has a population of 157,547 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Murfreesboro, TN? +

The median household income in Murfreesboro is $76,241 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Murfreesboro? +

Murfreesboro has a cost of living index of 91.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Murfreesboro, TN safe? +

Murfreesboro has a total crime rate of 2442.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Murfreesboro, TN? +

The median home value in Murfreesboro is $365,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Murfreesboro? +

Murfreesboro has an average annual temperature of 58.9°F, 55.9 inches of precipitation, and 2.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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