Clarksville vs Newport News
The short version
- Clarksville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Newport News area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $260,600 in Newport News and $263,600 in Clarksville.
- Clarksville has more scorching days: 57 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 30.
- Clarksville is growing faster: +13.2% since 2020 vs -1.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Newport News (23 vs 27 minutes each way).
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Virginia's top rate is 5.75%.
Side by side
| Clarksville, TN | Newport News, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 188,829 | 183,230 |
| Growth since 2020 | +13.2% | -1.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,887 | 2,656 |
| Median age | 31.0 | 34.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $69,303 | $69,634 |
| Median home value | $263,600 | $260,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 3.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,307 | $1,339 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.9 | 97.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.8 | 99.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,200 | $73,500 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | None | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.61% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.0 | 23.1 |
| Work from home | 9% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 14.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 28° | 49° / 32° |
| July high / low | 90° / 69° | 87° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 54 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 57 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 78 | 52 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 87.4 | 72.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.1% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.4% | +43.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Clarksville: September to October. Newport News: April to June and October.
Full monthly tables: Clarksville weather by month and Newport News weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,200 in Clarksville and $73,500 in Newport News. Moving from Clarksville to Newport News, you would need about $80,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Clarksville and Newport News
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Clarksville and Newport News.
Which would you pick?
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