According to a recent study, people in Moore County have more purchasing power, on average, than most Tennessee residents. The SmartAsset study identifies the places where average living expenses are most affordable for the people living there. To find these places, they measured the cost of living relative to income to determine the purchasing power in each county.

Moore County ranked third with a median income of $57,708 and and average cost of living of $31,318.

The other top 10 places were: Williams, Wilson, Rutherford, Sumner, Tipton, Robertson, Knox, Loudon, and Blount counties. No other southern middle Tennessee county made the list.

The study calculated two different cost of living metrics for a household with one adult and no dependents. One reflected the baseline cost of living in each location and the other reflected expenditures typical to someone making the county’s median income. They combined these two numbers using a weighted average based on how close each county’s median income was to the minimum livable income in that area. Then, they subtracted income taxes paid in that area.

Finally, the study calculated purchasing power in each county by determining the weighted cost of living as a percentage of median income. The top locations were those with the highest median income relative to the cost of living. To view the entire results, click here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}