Cleveland, TN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Bradley County · Cleveland · population 50,232

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Cleveland, TN
Image: Wikipedia · Cleveland, Tennessee
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69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cleveland stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $313,342
1-year +1.1%
5-yr CAGR +7.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$313k$140k$202k$264k$326k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
98/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,414/mo$1,017$1,266$1,514202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent140131100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.5
Lean buy

At a 18.5 price-to-rent ratio, Cleveland is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
55 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
74 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
72 · w16%
Rent YoY
43 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Cleveland has held up across the cycle: home values at $313,342 with +7.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Cleveland's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Cleveland

Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, with an estimated population of 50,232. The population grew 1.5% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Cleveland is $313,342 as of 2026-04, up 1.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Cleveland average $1,414 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (-0.3%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +7.0% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Net positive migration: population up 1.5% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Cleveland (Wikipedia)

Cleveland is the county seat of and the largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee. The population was 47,356 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee, which is included in the Chattanooga–Cleveland–Dalton, TN–GA–AL Combined Statistical Area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorJoe Fivas
Area30.87 sq mi
Elevation860 ft
Founded1835
NicknameThe City with Spirit
Density1534.34/sq mi
Named forBenjamin Cleveland

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Bradley County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Bradley County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Cleveland

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
47° / 28°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 68°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
207
~57% of year
Annual precip
54″ rain
5″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Cleveland listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Cleveland area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$64,700
Tennessee state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareMusic/EntertainmentManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Cleveland

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