The Town FilesSale Creek, Tennessee
Community in Hamilton County · population 3,021 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $299,700
- Household income
- $53,932
- Jan low / Jul high
- 28° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 2 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 50.8
Sale Creek is a community of 3,021 people in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $299,700, above the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). It ranks better for families than 94% of Tennessee towns, more of a college town than 93% of Tennessee towns, better for retirees than 73% of Tennessee towns.
How Sale Creek ranks
Percentile among Tennessee towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Tennessee towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sale Creek is worth $299,700, above the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $53,932, which is more affordable than 7% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $1,042 a month. 87.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sale Creek | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $299,700 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $1,042 | $863 |
| Median household income | $53,932 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 87.2% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.0% | — |
Who lives in Sale Creek
| People | Sale Creek | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.8 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.8% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.0% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 6.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.0% | — |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.5% | 88.2% |
Weather in Sale Creek
July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 28.3°F. About 58.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.6 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 33 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 72 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sale Creek since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF4, struck on April 27, 2011 about 9.6 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 20 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 2, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 27 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 20, 2006.
Severe weather in Hamilton County since 1996
Hamilton County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| June 17, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4792: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
Jobs and pay in Hamilton County
Hamilton County had 221,207 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $66,004 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Sale Creek itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.
Public schools in Sale Creek
2 public schools with 936 students, about 15.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale Creek Middle / High School | 6-12 | 562 | 15.6 |
| North Hamilton County Elementary School | PK-5 | 374 | 15.0 |
Towns near Sale Creek
- Dayton, TN8.6 mi · 7,065 people · home $214,900
- Soddy-Daisy, TN10.0 mi · 13,070 people · home $256,600
- Middle Valley, TN15.0 mi · 11,695 people · home $319,400
- Dunlap, TN17.4 mi · 5,357 people · home $192,100
- Harrison, TN18.4 mi · 7,902 people · home $307,400
- Cleveland, TN18.6 mi · 47,356 people · home $272,200
- South Cleveland, TN21.5 mi · 7,673 people · home $232,600
- Signal Mountain, TN22.2 mi · 8,852 people · home $544,300
Sale Creek questions
Is Sale Creek, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sale Creek scores better for retirees than 73% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 61%. 24.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.8).
How much does a house cost in Sale Creek?
The median owner-occupied home in Sale Creek is valued at $299,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,932, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,042 a month.
What is the weather like in Sale Creek?
July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 28.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.7 inches of precipitation a year and 1.6 inches of snow.
Does Sale Creek get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sale Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF4 on April 27, 2011. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)