Whitwell Cumberland Presbyterian Church · National Register of Historic Places
Whitwell’s story
70 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1956Whitwell is settled
WhitwellTN
A town of 2,052, settled in 1956. Healthier than 94% of U.S. towns.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,052
−3.4% since 2010
Typical home
$225K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
44.5
years
Jobs based here
281
A commuter town
What makes Whitwell stand out
The 3 things Whitwell does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Whitwell for work
Where Whitwell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
281jobs based in Whitwell
4%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Whitwell’s report card
Now in Whitwell
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Whitwell? Is a D for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Whitwell’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Whitwell. Another town gets a different order.
Health
Healthier than 6% of U.S. towns
Whitwell beats the Tennessee average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
DHealth Grade
26 measures vs. Tennessee
0 better14 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Whitwell | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.3% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 8.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 7% |
Erlanger Medical Center
16.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Whitwell’s public schools outperform 20% of Tennessee districts
The public schools Whitwell’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 80% of Tennessee’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitwell Elementary | PK–4 | 482 | A− |
| Whitwell High School | 9–12 | 298 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Whitwell
Most working residents leave Whitwell for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Chattanooga (35%), Jasper (11%) and South Pittsburg (5%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Whitwell4%
Chattanooga35%
Jasper11%
South Pittsburg5%
Dunlap4%
17 mi
median commute distance
281
jobs based in Whitwell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Whitwell home is worth about $225K
The typical Whitwell home is worth about $225,000, up 2.3% in a year, 33% below the Tennessee typical home.
$225KZillow home value
Typical home value
Whitwell$225K
Tennessee$334K
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities.
70risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2020
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Whitwell has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–52°
Spring47–72°
Summer66–88°
Fall49–73°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Crime reported in Whitwell
Whitwell's reported crime rate is below Tennessee's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Whitwell2.5
Tennessee6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Whitwell12.5
Tennessee20.7
U.S.17.7
4
violent crimes reported in 2024
20
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Outdoors
0% of Whitwell is conserved land
0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,238 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whitwell Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Whitwell
City in Tennessee, United States
Whitwell is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States, approximately 24 miles northwest of Chattanooga. The population was 1,641 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1956
- Population
- 1,641
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 37397
- Area code
- 423