Maybe you've been priced out of Franklin or Columbia and someone mentioned Centerville. Maybe you're a remote worker who finally ran the numbers and realized you don't have to live near Nashville to work there a few days a month. Either way, Centerville tends to surprise people who look at it seriously: the price tag is real, the affordability is genuine, and the trade-off is honest — you are roughly 65 minutes to Nashville on TN-100, and every errand and commute means a personal vehicle.
Centerville is the county seat of Hickman County, a small city of 3,589 people where the major economic anchors are the Hickman County School District, Agrana Fruit US Inc., Hickman County Government, and a Walmart. That's a thin local job base by design — the town is not trying to be a suburb of Nashville, and the cost structure reflects that. Wages here center around a median household income of $51,250, which is modest even by rural Tennessee standards. The flip side is that housing prices and day-to-day costs have stayed proportionally low in a way that larger towns in the state have not managed.
The overall cost of living runs approximately 14% below the national average and about 3% below the Tennessee state average, according to AreaVibes index data. Utilities, transportation, and groceries all come in under national norms. Tennessee's complete elimination of the Hall Income Tax means your paycheck is untouched at the state level — an advantage that compounds noticeably for households earning remote-work or investment income. The catch worth naming upfront: the median household income here sits below the income needed to comfortably carry the typical home purchase, which means buying requires either a strong down payment, dual incomes, or relocating from a higher-cost market with equity to deploy.
Whether you're comparing Centerville against Franklin, sizing up a rural buy versus renting in Dickson, or just trying to understand what your dollar actually does in Hickman County, the sections below break down housing costs, everyday expenses, the tax picture, and how Centerville stacks up against the towns buyers most often consider alongside it.
What It Really Costs to Live in Centerville
Centerville is genuinely affordable by Tennessee standards — not in a "settling" sense, but in the way small rural county seats with stable demand and limited speculation tend to be. The typical home price came in at $247,400 as of August 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), well below the statewide norm. That number puts Centerville in a different conversation than Dickson, Columbia, or Franklin — all of which run noticeably higher — and closer to the kind of prices Middle Tennessee buyers were finding anywhere in the region several years ago.
What drives the number here is straightforward: Centerville has a small population, a local economy anchored by public-sector and manufacturing jobs rather than tech or healthcare growth, and no commuter-suburb pressure pushing prices upward. The affordability is structural, not cyclical, which makes it more durable — but also means wage growth here hasn't kept pace with even these modest prices. The income-to-price gap is real and worth factoring into any buying plan.
Non-housing costs follow the same pattern. Transportation runs roughly 10% below the national average. Groceries come in near the state norm, which itself runs about 3% below the national figure. Utilities in Tennessee average around $216 per month statewide — already below the national average — and Centerville's smaller homes and rural setting don't change that picture dramatically. For a full look at how neighborhoods within the city shape value at the street level, the best neighborhoods guide covers that ground.
Housing: Rent vs. Buy in Centerville
The city-wide typical home price of $247,400 (August 2026) is the number to anchor your planning around. Entry-level homes — older construction, smaller square footage, properties that need updating — start meaningfully below that figure, which is unusual in a state where most markets have compressed the gap between entry-level and median. If you're coming in with equity from a higher-cost market, that entry point is where Centerville genuinely delivers.
The effective property tax rate in Hickman County is approximately 0.58% — roughly half the national median rate of about 1.02%. That difference has a real effect on monthly carrying costs and makes ownership more accessible than the purchase price alone suggests. The engine's mortgage calculator below this section will show you what current-rate financing looks like at different down payment levels; use it rather than any figure in this text, since rates move faster than any article can track.
The honest affordability caveat: the median household income here sits below the income needed to carry the typical home comfortably. That gap — roughly $16,000 — means a single-income household at the local median wage will feel stretched on a conventional purchase at the city-wide price point. Dual incomes, a strong down payment, or equity from a prior sale change that math quickly. Buyers who have worked in Nashville or another higher-wage market for a few years, then want to reset their cost structure, are exactly who this market suits.
Renting in Centerville is a limited market. Inventory is thin compared to larger towns, and rental stock skews toward older single-family homes rather than purpose-built apartment communities. Renting makes sense here if you're committing to the area for less than two to three years, or if you want time to understand the market before buying. For longer time horizons, ownership tends to pencil out more favorably — particularly given the low property tax rate. First-time buyers should review the first-time homebuyer guide for what the buying process looks like in a small-market county.
Everyday Costs Beyond Housing in Centerville
| Category | Typical Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $170–$250/mo | Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash |
| Groceries | $500–$700/mo | Food at home, household of 2–3 |
| Transportation & Gas | $160–$280/mo | Fuel, and transit where it is a real option |
| Phone & Internet | $100–$170/mo | Mobile plan plus home broadband |
| Misc / Discretionary | $180–$380/mo | Dining out, entertainment, subscriptions |
Non-housing figures are estimates for a household of two to three, not a sourced index; housing is the city-wide typical rent. Refreshed with the rest of the city data.
Tennessee's climate matters to your utility bill in ways newcomers from the Midwest or Pacific Northwest don't always expect. Centerville sits in a part of Middle Tennessee that runs hot and humid from May through September — air conditioning is not optional, and summer electricity costs reflect that. Winter heating loads are moderate rather than severe. The statewide average monthly utility cost of approximately $216 covers electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage; Centerville's smaller housing stock keeps most households in that range or below it.
Groceries are a straightforward win. Tennessee taxes food ingredients at a reduced state rate of 4% rather than the full 7% general sales tax, which lowers the register total on a standard weekly shop. Gas prices run roughly 10% below the national average — which matters considerably in Centerville, where a personal vehicle handles every errand, every commute, and every trip to a larger retail center. TN-100 is the main artery in and out of town, and if your household has a Nashville commute, you are budgeting for that round trip in time and fuel every single workday.
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Beyond the Monthly Mortgage Payment — What to Factor In
- The property tax rate above — The 0.58% used in the estimate is the median effective rate — tax actually paid as a share of market value — published by Ownwell, 2026. Half of local homes pay more and half pay less: your own bill depends on that property's assessed value and any exemptions it qualifies for, which can differ a lot from its market price. Confirm with the Hickman County assessor before you budget.
- Total cost of ownership — Your monthly mortgage payment is just the baseline. Depending on the specific city, county, and service district, homeownership costs also include local utility fees, municipal surcharges, and special assessments (such as water, sewer, storm drainage, or local energy taxes) that vary by location.
- Independent due diligence — Because these recurring local costs and municipal fees change depending on the exact property address, buyers must research them independently during their transaction process.
Tax laws, local municipal fees, and utility costs change frequently and individual situations vary. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice — always consult a qualified tax professional, CPA, or local municipal offices for personalized guidance.
Centerville vs. Nearby Cities: Cost Comparison
| City | Typical Home Price | Typical Rent | Cost vs Centerville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centerville (this city) | $247,400 | — | — |
| Dickson | $345,539 | $1,300/mo | 40% higher |
| Columbia | $371,690 | $1,576/mo | 50% higher |
| Franklin | $925,870 | $2,074/mo | 274% higher |
Source — home prices: Zillow ZHVI, August 2026. Nearby-city figures are the same series, refreshed together.
Centerville sits at the affordable end of the Middle Tennessee market — the table below shows how the typical home price and rent compare against Dickson, Franklin, Columbia, Hohenwald, and Fairview, the towns buyers most often weigh alongside it.
Taxes & the Bottom Line for Centerville
Tennessee's tax structure is one of the most buyer-friendly in the country for anyone moving from a high-tax state. There is no state income tax on wages, salaries, or investment income — the Hall Income Tax on dividends and interest was fully repealed starting with the 2021 tax year. A household earning $90,000 remotely keeps every dollar of that at the state level.
The sales tax is the honest counterweight. Tennessee's base state rate is 7%, among the highest statewide rates in the nation, with local jurisdictions adding up to 2.75% on top of that. In practice, most purchases in Hickman County will land somewhere in the 9% to 9.75% combined range. Groceries get a partial break — the state rate on food ingredients is 4%, not 7%, though local sales taxes still apply on top of that. It's not a small number at the checkout, and households that spend heavily on goods rather than services feel it.
Property taxes are the genuine standout. The effective rate of approximately 0.58% is less than what you'd pay in most of the country, and the annual bill on a home at the price point described earlier comes in well below the national median. For retirees, the picture improves further: Tennessee does not tax retirement income, including Social Security, pension distributions, or retirement account withdrawals. Full details on how that plays out for older buyers are on the retiring in Centerville page.
The bottom line on who Centerville fits: it works well for remote workers resetting from a higher-cost market, dual-income households with stable employment, buyers with equity to deploy from a prior sale, and retirees whose income comes primarily from accounts rather than wages. It tends to be a stretch for single-income households at or near the local wage median, and for anyone whose budget depends on a Nashville salary but can't absorb the cost of that daily commute — about 65 minutes to Nashville each way on TN-100, priced honestly in fuel, time, and vehicle wear. That drive belongs in any budget conversation about living here.
For buyers curious about how the safety picture factors into long-term value, the safety page covers crime figures in full. And if you're weighing the school district as part of the overall household budget decision, the Hickman County district holds a C rating, according to Niche — the schools guide goes deeper on what that means for families with kids.
Local Expert Takeaway: Centerville's cost of living is the real thing — not a marketing claim. The $247,400 typical home price (August 2026), the 0.58% property tax rate, and no state income tax combine to make this one of the more affordable livable towns in Middle Tennessee. Getting here from Nashville means about 65 minutes on TN-100, and most errands mean a drive — that's the honest shape of daily life. If you have remote income or equity from a prior sale, the math here is hard to argue with.
Quick Takeaways & FAQs
✅ Centerville's typical home price of $247,400 (August 2026) sits well below the Tennessee statewide norm and noticeably below every nearby comparison city including Dickson, Columbia, and Franklin.
⚠️ Every commute and errand means a personal vehicle — TN-100 carries the load to Nashville, roughly 65 minutes each way, and that fuel and time cost belongs in any household budget.
📍 Tennessee's 0.58% effective property tax rate in Hickman County is roughly half the national median, and the state taxes no wages, salaries, or retirement income — a combination that genuinely moves the needle for remote workers and retirees.
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