UC Counties Including Smith County Recognized as ‘Best Value’ by SmartAsset

December 21, 2020

UPPER CUMBERLAND – Eight Upper Cumberland counties have been recognized as best values in several categories including home value growth, school value, and lowest average property tax.

SmartAsset, a financial technology company, reviewed the data from all 95 Tennessee counties to rank the top 10 in several “best value” categories.

Of locations named “Best Overall Value”, six Upper Cumberland counties made the top 10 list: Overton (1), DeKalb (2), Van Buren (4), Smith (7), Pickett (9), and White (10).

Particulars, such as property taxes paid, school rankings, and the change in property values over a five-year period were reviewed and compared county to county. Counties with the highest scores were those where property tax dollars are going the furthest.

All counties listed in the top 10 for lowest average property tax listed a property tax rate below 50 percent; well below the state’s average property tax rate of 0.73 percent. Among the top 10, five Upper Cumberland counties made the list of lowest average property tax rates: Pickett (1), Cumberland (2), DeKalb (6), Fentress (7), and Overton (9).

When considering most value for home value growth Pickett (1), Cannon (3), and Overton (6) claimed three spots on the top 10 list; each nearly doubling the state’s average home value growth of 14 percent. Pickett County’s reported home value growth stands at 58 percent,

Cannon County at 33 percent, and Overton County reporting a 25 percent home value growth rate.
Three Upper Cumberland counties ranked among the top 10 school ratings: Cumberland (3), Overton (4), and Smith (10) counties. When measuring the quality of schools, SmartAsset analyzed the math and reading/language arts proficiencies for every school district in the country; creating an average score for each district and weighting them to account for the number of students in each school.

SmartAsset states, “our study aims to find the places in the United States where people are getting the most value for their property tax dollars. To do this, we looked at property taxes paid, school rankings, and the change in property values over a five-year period.”
To learn more, visit​ ​https://smartasset.com/taxes/tennessee-property-tax-calculator.


About the Upper Cumberland Development District: The Upper Cumberland Development District provides regional planning and assistance to the 14-county Upper Cumberland region to promote economic growth and community enhancement. Find UCDD on the web at www.ucdd.org and at facebook.com/UCDDconnect.