Best Places38240, TN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 38240, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
38240 ranks 25,940th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on state finances by a wide margin, and low incomes rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 38240
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
38240's strengths and weaknesses
Where 38240 ranks high
- State fiscal healthBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$564 a month, better than 89% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 87% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than 82% of zip codes
Where 38240 ranks low
- Household income$45,841 median, better than only 7% of zip codes
- Health outlookBetter than only 10% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 11% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 12% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 17% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 38240
A household needs to earn about $25,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 38240 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $45,841, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 38240's effective rate of 0.46%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 3 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 38240
38240's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 38240.
Who works in 38240, and how
Work in 38240 centers on manufacturing and construction. Unemployment is low, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 4%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 38240
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 38240.
What the weather is like in 38240, month by month
38240 sees roughly 100 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 47, with lows near 31. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 38° | 31° |
| April | 71° | 60° | 50° |
| July | 90° | 80° | 71° |
| October | 74° | 61° | 50° |
Flying in and out of 38240
The nearest airport, McKellar-Sipes Regional, is about 49 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Memphis International, about 93 miles away.
The best schools in and around 38240
Schools across 38240 average a B, better than 66% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Fifth Consolidated SchoolA− · 56% proficient
- Hillcrest ElementaryB+ · 55% proficient
- Black Oak ElementaryB− · 40% proficient
Top middle schools
- Three Oaks Middle SchoolA− · 55% proficient
- Northview Middle SchoolB+ · 50% proficient
Top high schools
- Dyer County High SchoolA · 69% proficient
- Obion County Central High SchoolC+ · 40% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 38240 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
38240 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 38240 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 38240
Is 38240 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 38240 ranks 25,940th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on state finances, affordable childcare, and a stable housing market, and lowest on low incomes and health outcomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 38240 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $101,117. The overall cost of living runs about 22% below the national average. Set against a $45,841 median income, cost of living beats 17% of zip codes.
Is 38240 safe?
38240 is safer than 50% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $416 per resident a year.
Compare 38240 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 38240. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 38240 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
38240 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 38240: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 38240: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 38240: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 38240: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
38240 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.