County housing intelligence
Tennessee Housing Market by County
Tennessee is not one housing market. Across 95 counties, the median county home value is $186,300 and the median county rent is $804/mo. The useful question is not whether Tennessee is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$186,300
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$804/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
95
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Tennessee Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Williamson County, Wilson County, Davidson County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Lake County, Perry County, Hardeman County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Williamson County, Davidson County, Rutherford County lead on rent, while Lake County, Clay County, Hancock County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Crockett County, Obion County, Perry County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Lake County
$107,000
- 2. Perry County
$113,800
- 3. Hardeman County
$116,800
- 4. Scott County
$116,800
- 5. Hancock County
$118,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Crockett County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 2. Obion County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 3. Perry County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 4. Polk County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 5. Benton County
2.4x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Lake County
$472/mo
- 2. Clay County
$546/mo
- 3. Hancock County
$592/mo
- 4. Fentress County
$614/mo
- 5. Wayne County
$619/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Stewart County
19.0% rent burden
- 2. Houston County
22.0% rent burden
- 3. Lincoln County
22.0% rent burden
- 4. Cumberland County
23.0% rent burden
- 5. Decatur County
23.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Cumberland County
0.31% effective tax rate
- 2. Sevier County
0.31% effective tax rate
- 3. Fentress County
0.34% effective tax rate
- 4. Fayette County
0.35% effective tax rate
- 5. DeKalb County
0.36% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Jackson County
$336/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Overton County
$328/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Bledsoe County
$316/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Meigs County
$281/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Sevier County
$263/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Polk County
$60,227 income, 2.3x value-to-income
- 2. Williamson County
$131,202 income, 5.1x value-to-income
- 3. Crockett County
$59,049 income, 2.3x value-to-income
- 4. Van Buren County
$60,281 income, 2.5x value-to-income
- 5. Gibson County
$59,009 income, 2.5x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Lake County $107,000 home value, $30,500 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Lake County $107,000 home value, 0.71% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Sequatchie County $842/mo rent, 39.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Williamson County $673,700 home value, $131,202 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Tennessee County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crockett County | $134,100 | $854/mo | $59,049 | 2.3x | 0.65% |
| Obion County | $122,700 | $770/mo | $53,102 | 2.3x | 0.57% |
| Perry County | $113,800 | $747/mo | $50,489 | 2.3x | 0.58% |
| Polk County | $136,400 | $668/mo | $60,227 | 2.3x | 0.56% |
| Benton County | $123,400 | $788/mo | $50,435 | 2.4x | 0.58% |
| Carroll County | $122,100 | $757/mo | $50,391 | 2.4x | 0.66% |
| Wayne County | $126,600 | $619/mo | $52,824 | 2.4x | 0.54% |
| Gibson County | $149,700 | $797/mo | $59,009 | 2.5x | 0.68% |
| Hardeman County | $116,800 | $818/mo | $46,173 | 2.5x | 0.65% |
| Lauderdale County | $122,100 | $729/mo | $49,205 | 2.5x | 0.66% |
| Morgan County | $144,000 | $742/mo | $57,408 | 2.5x | 0.58% |
| Van Buren County | $149,200 | $705/mo | $60,281 | 2.5x | 0.40% |
| Chester County | $155,200 | $714/mo | $60,543 | 2.6x | 0.54% |
| Haywood County | $119,600 | $725/mo | $43,513 | 2.7x | 0.71% |
| Scott County | $116,800 | $691/mo | $42,679 | 2.7x | 0.53% |
| Houston County | $150,100 | $685/mo | $54,475 | 2.8x | 0.57% |
| Weakley County | $136,300 | $760/mo | $49,502 | 2.8x | 0.54% |
| Cocke County | $141,800 | $787/mo | $48,416 | 2.9x | 0.64% |
| Decatur County | $133,900 | $716/mo | $46,190 | 2.9x | 0.49% |
| Dyer County | $159,500 | $760/mo | $54,973 | 2.9x | 0.61% |
| Grundy County | $133,400 | $723/mo | $45,573 | 2.9x | 0.42% |
| Henderson County | $156,000 | $812/mo | $53,471 | 2.9x | 0.47% |
| Stewart County | $182,700 | $837/mo | $62,052 | 2.9x | 0.52% |
| Fentress County | $151,800 | $614/mo | $50,865 | 3.0x | 0.34% |
| Hawkins County | $166,900 | $744/mo | $55,278 | 3.0x | 0.56% |
| Henry County | $145,200 | $741/mo | $48,540 | 3.0x | 0.48% |
| Marion County | $173,600 | $840/mo | $58,103 | 3.0x | 0.44% |
| McNairy County | $151,100 | $706/mo | $50,714 | 3.0x | 0.39% |
| Union County | $186,300 | $849/mo | $61,858 | 3.0x | 0.39% |
| Clay County | $136,900 | $546/mo | $44,712 | 3.1x | 0.61% |
| Hardin County | $154,000 | $770/mo | $49,149 | 3.1x | 0.43% |
| Rhea County | $178,500 | $796/mo | $58,133 | 3.1x | 0.46% |
| Tipton County | $220,100 | $1,007/mo | $71,736 | 3.1x | 0.53% |
| Carter County | $157,200 | $738/mo | $48,435 | 3.2x | 0.53% |
| Claiborne County | $148,000 | $736/mo | $46,587 | 3.2x | 0.49% |
| Humphreys County | $186,900 | $830/mo | $59,333 | 3.2x | 0.48% |
| Lewis County | $157,800 | $735/mo | $49,477 | 3.2x | 0.50% |
| McMinn County | $190,400 | $792/mo | $59,674 | 3.2x | 0.37% |
| Meigs County | $185,500 | $845/mo | $58,395 | 3.2x | 0.39% |
| Roane County | $212,300 | $767/mo | $66,218 | 3.2x | 0.55% |
| Warren County | $173,900 | $775/mo | $54,088 | 3.2x | 0.45% |
| Bledsoe County | $165,400 | $779/mo | $49,655 | 3.3x | 0.41% |
| Giles County | $204,100 | $836/mo | $61,476 | 3.3x | 0.47% |
| Grainger County | $172,000 | $726/mo | $51,351 | 3.3x | 0.51% |
| Jackson County | $135,200 | $804/mo | $41,475 | 3.3x | 0.50% |
| Jefferson County | $210,000 | $880/mo | $63,084 | 3.3x | 0.47% |
| Lawrence County | $176,700 | $736/mo | $53,233 | 3.3x | 0.53% |
| Lincoln County | $209,100 | $782/mo | $63,115 | 3.3x | 0.47% |
| Madison County | $189,700 | $1,076/mo | $58,189 | 3.3x | 0.61% |
| Unicoi County | $168,200 | $665/mo | $50,381 | 3.3x | 0.57% |
| Anderson County | $215,800 | $960/mo | $63,171 | 3.4x | 0.62% |
| Campbell County | $169,500 | $715/mo | $50,260 | 3.4x | 0.38% |
| Greene County | $186,400 | $713/mo | $54,071 | 3.4x | 0.43% |
| Hickman County | $192,000 | $877/mo | $57,223 | 3.4x | 0.57% |
| Johnson County | $175,500 | $639/mo | $52,152 | 3.4x | 0.38% |
| Montgomery County | $248,300 | $1,219/mo | $72,365 | 3.4x | 0.67% |
| Sullivan County | $190,800 | $850/mo | $56,802 | 3.4x | 0.63% |
| Franklin County | $215,700 | $863/mo | $61,553 | 3.5x | 0.56% |
| Lake County | $107,000 | $472/mo | $30,500 | 3.5x | 0.71% |
| Marshall County | $246,100 | $924/mo | $70,829 | 3.5x | 0.54% |
| Monroe County | $199,700 | $699/mo | $56,648 | 3.5x | 0.44% |
| Bradley County | $230,800 | $959/mo | $63,789 | 3.6x | 0.51% |
| Cheatham County | $291,400 | $1,274/mo | $82,015 | 3.6x | 0.51% |
| Hamblen County | $188,800 | $838/mo | $52,794 | 3.6x | 0.46% |
| Loudon County | $292,600 | $995/mo | $80,296 | 3.6x | 0.40% |
| Pickett County | $162,200 | $755/mo | $44,591 | 3.6x | 0.37% |
| Smith County | $224,500 | $877/mo | $62,799 | 3.6x | 0.47% |
| White County | $190,200 | $838/mo | $52,206 | 3.6x | 0.43% |
| Blount County | $275,700 | $1,042/mo | $74,607 | 3.7x | 0.50% |
| Coffee County | $227,300 | $885/mo | $60,656 | 3.7x | 0.61% |
| Dickson County | $272,700 | $972/mo | $73,223 | 3.7x | 0.50% |
| Fayette County | $316,000 | $883/mo | $84,764 | 3.7x | 0.35% |
| Hancock County | $118,000 | $592/mo | $31,995 | 3.7x | 0.45% |
| Overton County | $171,700 | $833/mo | $46,159 | 3.7x | 0.39% |
| Shelby County | $229,700 | $1,170/mo | $62,337 | 3.7x | 1.03% |
| Macon County | $211,200 | $805/mo | $56,269 | 3.8x | 0.41% |
| Robertson County | $296,700 | $1,176/mo | $78,439 | 3.8x | 0.52% |
| Washington County | $231,700 | $951/mo | $61,051 | 3.8x | 0.55% |
| Cannon County | $227,600 | $781/mo | $58,092 | 3.9x | 0.48% |
| Cumberland County | $228,000 | $829/mo | $58,475 | 3.9x | 0.31% |
| Hamilton County | $282,100 | $1,163/mo | $72,568 | 3.9x | 0.67% |
| Knox County | $279,700 | $1,180/mo | $71,662 | 3.9x | 0.48% |
| Moore County | $259,300 | $746/mo | $66,687 | 3.9x | 0.48% |
| Bedford County | $255,300 | $917/mo | $62,197 | 4.1x | 0.50% |
| Maury County | $307,500 | $1,206/mo | $74,162 | 4.1x | 0.48% |
| Sevier County | $259,500 | $1,013/mo | $63,829 | 4.1x | 0.31% |
| Rutherford County | $346,400 | $1,405/mo | $82,588 | 4.2x | 0.51% |
| Sequatchie County | $217,800 | $842/mo | $52,260 | 4.2x | 0.45% |
| Sumner County | $364,000 | $1,339/mo | $86,005 | 4.2x | 0.53% |
| Wilson County | $397,000 | $1,370/mo | $94,048 | 4.2x | 0.44% |
| DeKalb County | $206,600 | $773/mo | $48,484 | 4.3x | 0.36% |
| Putnam County | $246,800 | $881/mo | $56,537 | 4.4x | 0.53% |
| Trousdale County | $284,100 | $805/mo | $63,190 | 4.5x | 0.42% |
| Davidson County | $386,600 | $1,485/mo | $75,664 | 5.1x | 0.62% |
| Williamson County | $673,700 | $1,895/mo | $131,202 | 5.1x | 0.43% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Tennessee by county?
What is the typical rent in Tennessee by county?
Which Tennessee counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.