Housing decision brief
DeKalb County, TN Housing Market
DeKalb County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
64th lowest home value out of 95 Tennessee counties with data | 49th lowest rent out of 95
Median home value
$235,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$839/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$885/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
34.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$46/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Lower income base
$53,153 median income is 10% below Tennessee county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 15.3 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where DeKalb County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $235,500 | $204,700 | $281,900 | 15% pressure15% above Tennessee county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $839 | $839 | $1,163 | Near state medianAt the Tennessee county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $885 | $710 | $1,672 | 25% pressure25% above Tennessee county median |
Median household income | $53,153 | $59,341 | $74,755 | 10% pressure10% below Tennessee county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.35% | 0.47% | 1.02% | 25% favorable25% below Tennessee county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 34.00% | 26.70% | N/A | 27% pressure34.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$19,593
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$15,224
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
DeKalb County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $773/month representing approximately 19.1% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 31.0%.
Rent vs own
At $773/month rent versus $799/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $26/month cheaper , a 3% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $30,920/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $34,243/year. With a median household income of $48,484, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 31.0% of renter households in DeKalb County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
DeKalb County sits 7% less expensive than Cumberland County ($829/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequatchie County, TN | $232,600 | $818/mo | Same-state comparison near $232,600 home value and $818/mo rent. |
| Macon County, TN | $225,700 | $846/mo | Same-state comparison near $225,700 home value and $846/mo rent. |
| White County, TN | $207,200 | $849/mo | Same-state comparison near $207,200 home value and $849/mo rent. |
| Rhea County, TN | $206,000 | $839/mo | Same-state comparison near $206,000 home value and $839/mo rent. |
| Hamblen County, TN | $210,900 | $857/mo | Same-state comparison near $210,900 home value and $857/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for DeKalb County
Is DeKalb County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in DeKalb County?
How much income do you need for housing in DeKalb County?
What should I double-check before moving to DeKalb County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.