Jobs, pay and daily life in Cleveland, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Cleveland is a city in Tennessee with 48,829 residents. The median household earns $58,559 a year and the median rent is $1,034 a month, which is 21.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Cleveland, TN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 43,010 jobs.
How Cleveland compares. Among the 80 largest places in Tennessee, Cleveland is #16 by population, #72 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #27 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #53 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Bradley County, is #32 of 95 counties for average pay ($54,379).
Cleveland has 48,829 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Tennessee. It covers 31 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,570 people per square mile. The median age is 36.4, 6% younger than the state median (36.4 against 38.9).
The median gross rent is $1,034 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($1,034 against $1,189). Over a year that is 21.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $272,200, which is 4.6 times the median household income ($58,559). 48.0% of households own their home, 28% below the state average (48.0% against 66.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Cleveland, TN metropolitan area has 43,010 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $40,230 a year, 21% below the national median ($40,230 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (5,360 jobs, median $38,460); production (5,090 jobs, median $39,610); office and administrative support (5,040 jobs, median $40,700). The area is most specialised in production (2.1 times) and transportation and material moving (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($40,700) and production ($39,610). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Bradley County was 3.6%. 60.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Bradley County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.7% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 2.1% walk, 9.7% work from home. 9.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 39% below the state average (9.4% against 15.2%).
30.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (30.2% against 31.1%). 8.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 44% above the state share (8.8% against 6.1%). The poverty rate is 16.7%, 21% above the state rate (16.7% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 38°F (3.6°C). About 1,354 mm (53 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (140 mm) and Oct the driest (89 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Collegedale (13 miles, rent 53% higher); Harrison (16 miles, rent 18% higher); Soddy-Daisy (18 miles, similar rent); Middle Valley (18 miles, rent 14% higher). Rent differences are against Cleveland; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Tennessee (395) →State guide: TennesseeCountry guideBradley CountyTennessee rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 395 federal postings open in Tennessee (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Tennessee →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,900 | 2.33 | $38,460 | $30,210 | $44,850 | -4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,830 | 1.72 | $26,140 | $21,580 | $31,750 | -16% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,230 | 1.14 | $32,160 | $23,570 | $45,630 | -9% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,100 | 2.83 | $44,110 | $31,000 | $47,600 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 1,000 | 1.17 | $27,140 | $20,800 | $33,680 | -17% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 990 | 1.26 | $32,870 | $29,480 | $41,090 | -12% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 970 | 1.70 | $49,250 | $36,850 | $77,850 | -16% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 720 | 1.15 | $23,300 | $15,080 | $45,660 | -34% |
| General and Operations Managers | 690 | 0.71 | $92,800 | $41,810 | $212,760 | -12% |
| Office Clerks, General | 630 | 0.92 | $36,100 | $24,830 | $54,870 | -20% |
| Registered Nurses | 630 | 0.67 | $72,800 | $56,220 | $79,730 | -25% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 600 | 1.52 | $59,190 | $38,310 | $95,480 | -15% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 590 | 0.83 | $37,600 | $28,230 | $55,380 | -16% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 540 | 0.45 | $31,620 | $26,850 | $33,330 | -12% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 510 | 1.92 | $38,580 | $30,560 | $53,240 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 500 | 1.49 | $36,580 | $27,930 | $58,730 | -17% |
| Production Workers, All Other | 500 | 7.22 | $38,010 | $30,000 | $48,670 | -5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 450 | 1.07 | $45,830 | $29,110 | $64,620 | -8% |
| Nursing Assistants | 440 | 1.10 | $37,130 | $30,400 | $37,920 | -12% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 430 | 2.29 | $58,120 | $35,880 | $97,630 | -22% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 690 | 0.71 | $92,800 | $41,810 | $212,760 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 630 | 0.67 | $72,800 | $56,220 | $79,730 | -25% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 600 | 1.52 | $59,190 | $38,310 | $95,480 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 970 | 1.70 | $49,250 | $36,850 | $77,850 | -16% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,100 | 2.83 | $44,110 | $31,000 | $47,600 | -1% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 510 | 1.92 | $38,580 | $30,560 | $53,240 | -16% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,900 | 2.33 | $38,460 | $30,210 | $44,850 | -4% |
| Production Workers, All Other | 500 | 7.22 | $38,010 | $30,000 | $48,670 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 590 | 0.83 | $37,600 | $28,230 | $55,380 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 500 | 1.49 | $36,580 | $27,930 | $58,730 | -17% |
| Office Clerks, General | 630 | 0.92 | $36,100 | $24,830 | $54,870 | -20% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 990 | 1.26 | $32,870 | $29,480 | $41,090 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,230 | 1.14 | $32,160 | $23,570 | $45,630 | -9% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 540 | 0.45 | $31,620 | $26,850 | $33,330 | -12% |
| Cashiers | 1,000 | 1.17 | $27,140 | $20,800 | $33,680 | -17% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,830 | 1.72 | $26,140 | $21,580 | $31,750 | -16% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 720 | 1.15 | $23,300 | $15,080 | $45,660 | -34% |
These figures are for the whole Cleveland, TN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
| Occupation field ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Material Moving | 5,360 | 1.42 | $38,460 | -13% |
| Production | 5,090 | 2.15 | $39,610 | -16% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 5,040 | 1.03 | $40,700 | -14% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 4,890 | 1.29 | $26,760 | -24% |
| Sales and Related | 3,790 | 1.02 | $33,390 | -13% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 2,550 | 1.01 | $59,330 | -2% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 2,310 | 0.85 | $72,680 | -16% |
| Management | 2,300 | 0.75 | $99,480 | -21% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 1,900 | 1.13 | $50,280 | -16% |
| Healthcare Support | 1,590 | 0.73 | $35,740 | -7% |
| Construction and Extraction | 1,520 | 0.86 | $47,470 | -20% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 1,460 | 0.50 | $63,760 | -23% |
| Personal Care and Service | 1,030 | 1.14 | $28,620 | -21% |
| Protective Service | 710 | 0.68 | $44,790 | -11% |
| Community and Social Service | 570 | 0.77 | $50,660 | -13% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 520 | 0.36 | $75,360 | -31% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 420 | 0.59 | $81,580 | -18% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 280 | 0.49 | $43,750 | -30% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 240 | 0.59 | $59,800 | -28% |
| Legal | 130 | 0.37 | $77,880 | -24% |
Median pay across all occupations: $40,230 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.5% |
| Manufacturing | 16.4% |
| Retail trade | 12.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.1% |
| Other services | 7.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.8% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Public administration | 3.8% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Cleveland lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley County | 111,065 | $6,669 million | $60,048 | 40,665 | 2,478 | $54,379 | -4.8% | 3.6% | 49,222 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,621 | 21.9% | $71,679 | 2.28 |
| Retail trade | 5,124 | 14.8% | $36,789 | 1.26 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,953 | 14.3% | $55,499 | 0.85 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,375 | 12.6% | $20,824 | 1.18 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,982 | 8.6% | $62,425 | 1.73 |
| Construction | 2,076 | 6.0% | $76,505 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,060 | 5.9% | $45,732 | 0.86 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,304 | 3.8% | $37,243 | 1.07 |
| Educational services | 1,074 | 3.1% | $34,013 | 1.28 |
| Professional and technical services | 981 | 2.8% | $81,747 | 0.35 |
| Finance and insurance | 777 | 2.2% | $73,461 | 0.47 |
| Management of companies | 542 | 1.6% | $97,753 | 0.79 |
| Real estate and rental | 337 | 1.0% | $46,308 | 0.53 |
| Information | 298 | 0.9% | $62,443 | 0.39 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 233 | 0.7% | $20,440 | 0.34 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.7% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 2.1% |
| Work from home | 9.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,559 |
| Income per person | $32,659 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,034 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.2% |
| Median home value | $272,200 |
| Homeowners | 48.0% |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $40,230 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 30.2% |
| Born abroad | 8.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.6 | 38 | 109 |
| Feb | 5.8 | 42 | 122 |
| Mar | 10.4 | 51 | 118 |
| Apr | 15.3 | 60 | 115 |
| May | 20.1 | 68 | 115 |
| Jun | 24.6 | 76 | 106 |
| Jul | 26.4 | 80 | 127 |
| Aug | 26.2 | 79 | 96 |
| Sep | 22.7 | 73 | 108 |
| Oct | 16.2 | 61 | 89 |
| Nov | 9.7 | 49 | 109 |
| Dec | 5.5 | 42 | 140 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegedale | TN | 13 mi | 11,330 | $70,246 | $1,581 |
| Harrison | TN | 16 mi | 8,011 | $89,395 | $1,216 |
| Soddy-Daisy | TN | 18 mi | 13,231 | $75,113 | $1,047 |
| Middle Valley | TN | 18 mi | 12,187 | $95,000 | $1,180 |
| Chattanooga | TN | 23 mi | 185,783 | $64,523 | $1,256 |
| East Ridge | TN | 24 mi | 22,070 | $62,247 | $1,147 |
| Athens | TN | 24 mi | 14,471 | $53,929 | $846 |
| Red Bank | TN | 24 mi | 12,010 | $63,983 | $1,283 |
| Signal Mountain | TN | 27 mi | 8,860 | $141,008 | $1,852 |
| Dalton | GA | 29 mi | 34,538 | $63,577 | $996 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
48,829 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,034 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.2% of the median household income.
$58,559 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Bradley County (latest month 2026M09)).
Tennessee. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.