The Town FilesOak Ridge, Tennessee
City in Anderson County · population 31,402 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $270,200
- Household income
- $72,311
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 39.3
Oak Ridge is a city of 31,402 people in Anderson County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $270,200, above the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks better for cycling than 89% of Tennessee towns, better transit than 88% of Tennessee towns, more vibrant than 85% of Tennessee towns.
How Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge is worth $270,200, above the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $72,311, which is more affordable than 50% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $1,131 a month. 65.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oak Ridge | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $270,200 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $1,131 | $863 |
| Median household income | $72,311 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.7× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 65.8% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Oak Ridge
| People | Oak Ridge | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.3 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.6% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 23.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.2% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 9.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.8% | — |
| Work from home | 16.3% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.5% | 88.2% |
Weather in Oak Ridge
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 29.2°F. About 59.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.4 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 39 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 75 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oak Ridge since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on February 21, 1993 about 4.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 20, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 64 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 28, 1959.
Severe weather in Anderson County since 1996
Anderson County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 2, 2020 | Biological | DR-4514: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3473: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Anderson County
Anderson County had 46,052 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $79,878 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Oak Ridge itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.
Public schools in Oak Ridge
8 public schools with 5,002 students, about 14.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge High School | 9-12 | 1,586 | 15.4 |
| Robertsville Middle School | 5-8 | 743 | 15.2 |
| Jefferson Middle School | 5-8 | 706 | 12.2 |
| Linden Elementary | K-4 | 525 | 15.0 |
| Woodland Elementary | K-4 | 447 | 14.4 |
| Willow Brook Elementary | K-4 | 412 | 11.4 |
| Glenwood Elementary | K-4 | 359 | 12.0 |
| Preschool | PK-PK | 224 | 17.2 |
Towns near Oak Ridge
- Oliver Springs, TN5.5 mi · 3,297 people · home $180,900
- Farragut, TN8.8 mi · 23,506 people · home $583,400
- Karns, TN10.2 mi · 3,536 people · home $328,600
- Lenoir City, TN10.4 mi · 10,117 people · home $252,400
- Clinton, TN12.8 mi · 10,056 people · home $225,000
- Kingston, TN13.6 mi · 5,953 people · home $220,000
- Powell, TN15.4 mi · 13,802 people · home $299,400
- Harriman, TN15.4 mi · 5,892 people · home $153,200
Oak Ridge questions
Is Oak Ridge, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oak Ridge scores better for retirees than 53% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 10%. 19.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.3).
How much does a house cost in Oak Ridge?
The median owner-occupied home in Oak Ridge is valued at $270,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,311, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $1,131 a month.
What is the weather like in Oak Ridge?
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 29.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 59.7 inches of precipitation a year and 4.4 inches of snow.
Does Oak Ridge get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oak Ridge since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on February 21, 1993. 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)