The Town FilesGates, Tennessee
Town in Lauderdale County · population 664 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $96,300
- Household income
- $51,146
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 16
- Median age
- 35.5
Gates is a town of 664 people in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $96,300, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks easier by car than 95% of Tennessee towns, better for retirees than 70% of Tennessee towns.
How Gates ranks
Percentile among Tennessee towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Tennessee towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Gates is worth $96,300, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $51,146, which is more affordable than 97% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $629 a month. 39.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Gates | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $96,300 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $629 | $863 |
| Median household income | $51,146 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 39.7% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Gates
| People | Gates | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.5% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 22.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.6% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 28.6% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 3.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 5.0% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 35.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.6% | 88.2% |
Weather in Gates
July highs average 89.8°F and January lows 29.4°F. About 56.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.7 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 69 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gates since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 27, 1994 about 3.2 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 20 deaths and 56 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 5, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on April 10, 2025.
Severe weather in Lauderdale County since 1996
Lauderdale County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| June 19, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4878: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
Jobs and pay in Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County had 6,312 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,715 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Gates itself the ACS puts it at 30.7%.
Towns near Gates
- Halls, TN2.8 mi · 2,091 people · home $137,200
- Fowlkes, TN9.2 mi · 882 people · home $125,000
- Ripley, TN9.7 mi · 7,800 people · home $154,900
- Friendship, TN10.4 mi · 613 people · home $108,000
- Maury City, TN10.5 mi · 583 people · home $78,900
- Finley, TN14.1 mi · 774 people · home $162,500
- Henning, TN14.2 mi · 871 people · home $72,500
- Dyersburg, TN14.4 mi · 16,164 people · home $168,300
Gates questions
Is Gates, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gates scores better for retirees than 70% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 63%. 15.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.5).
How much does a house cost in Gates?
The median owner-occupied home in Gates is valued at $96,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,146, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $629 a month.
What is the weather like in Gates?
July highs average 89.8°F and January lows 29.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.8 inches of precipitation a year and 2.7 inches of snow.
Does Gates get tornadoes?
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gates since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 27, 1994. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)