Housing decision brief
Roane County, TN Housing Market
Roane County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a higher 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.
63rd lowest home value out of 95 Tennessee counties with data | 35th lowest rent out of 95
Median home value
$212,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$767/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$842/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
28.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$75/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$767/mo is 5% below Tennessee county median
Rent burden below pressure line
28.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
0.55% effective property-tax rate is 10% above Tennessee county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is D. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 41.4 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
- 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 Roane 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. | $212,300 | $186,300 | $281,900 | 14% pressure14% above Tennessee county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $767 | $804 | $1,163 | 5% favorable5% below Tennessee county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $842 | $695 | $1,672 | 21% pressure21% above Tennessee county median |
Median household income | $66,218 | $57,408 | $74,755 | 15% favorable15% above Tennessee county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.55% | 0.50% | 1.02% | 10% pressure10% above Tennessee county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 28.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 8% pressure28.00% 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
+$35,538
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$30,132
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Roane County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $767/month , about 13.9% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $767/month rent versus $842/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $75/month cheaper , a 9% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $30,680/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,086/year. With a median household income of $66,218, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 28.0% of renter households in Roane County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Tennessee, Roane County is more affordable than Decatur County by roughly 7% ($767/mo vs $716/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, TN | $209,100 | $782/mo | Same-state comparison near $209,100 home value and $782/mo rent. |
| Jefferson County, TN | $210,000 | $880/mo | Same-state comparison near $210,000 home value and $880/mo rent. |
| Giles County, TN | $204,100 | $836/mo | Same-state comparison near $204,100 home value and $836/mo rent. |
| Franklin County, TN | $215,700 | $863/mo | Same-state comparison near $215,700 home value and $863/mo rent. |
| Macon County, TN | $211,200 | $805/mo | Same-state comparison near $211,200 home value and $805/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Roane County
Is Roane County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Roane County?
How much income do you need for housing in Roane County?
What should I double-check before moving to Roane County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.