CLARKSVILLE, TENN.

Metro area population: 265,062
Median home price: $129,000
12-month change in home value: +0.8%
Affordability index: 3/10
Homes sold in 2008: 2,767
Home value vs. national average: -36%
Top employer: Trane Corporation

Clarksville offers an affordable alternative to nearby Nashville but is close enough that residents can enjoy the larger city's attractions.

The housing market is kept active by Clarksville's proximity to Fort Campbell. Traditionally a manufacturing town, the city also offers a robust retail economy, driven in part by Austin Peay State University.