The Town FilesWhitwell, Tennessee
City in Marion County · population 1,641 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $140,500
- Household income
- $67,774
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 44.5
Whitwell is a city of 1,641 people in Marion County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $140,500, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks quieter than 74% of Tennessee towns.
How Whitwell 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 Whitwell is worth $140,500, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $67,774, which is more affordable than 94% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $872 a month. 72.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Whitwell | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $140,500 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $872 | $863 |
| Median household income | $67,774 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.1× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 72.0% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Whitwell
| People | Whitwell | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.5 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.8% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 17.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.4% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.7% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 7.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.4% | — |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 37.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.8% | 88.2% |
Weather in Whitwell
July highs average 87.5°F and January lows 31.7°F. About 63.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.1 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 32 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 63 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Whitwell since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on November 29, 2016 about 5.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 2, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 21 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 20, 2006.
Severe weather in Marion County since 1996
Marion County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.
| 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 |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
| May 8, 2021 | Tornado | DR-4601: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Marion County
Marion County had 8,355 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,930 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Whitwell itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Whitwell
3 public schools with 1,158 students, about 16.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitwell Elementary | PK-4 | 511 | 17.0 |
| Whitwell High School | 9-12 | 337 | 14.7 |
| Whitwell Middle School | 5-8 | 310 | 17.2 |
Towns near Whitwell
- Powells Crossroads, TN2.1 mi · 1,296 people · home $187,800
- Sequatchie, TN7.0 mi · 622 people · home —
- Lone Oak, TN8.7 mi · 1,198 people · home $257,500
- Jasper, TN10.3 mi · 3,612 people · home $209,000
- Signal Mountain, TN10.7 mi · 8,852 people · home $544,300
- Fairmount, TN10.8 mi · 2,193 people · home $464,500
- Palmer, TN11.7 mi · 551 people · home $78,900
- Walden, TN12.1 mi · 1,981 people · home $679,900
Whitwell questions
Is Whitwell, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Whitwell scores better for retirees than 35% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 74%. 17.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.5).
How much does a house cost in Whitwell?
The median owner-occupied home in Whitwell is valued at $140,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,774, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $872 a month.
What is the weather like in Whitwell?
July highs average 87.5°F and January lows 31.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 63.7 inches of precipitation a year and 3.1 inches of snow.
Does Whitwell get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Whitwell since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on November 29, 2016. 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)