Housing decision brief
Unicoi County, TN Housing Market
Unicoi County screens as a below-state 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.
37th lowest home value out of 95 Tennessee counties with data | 7th lowest rent out of 95
Median home value
$168,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$665/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$648/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$17/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$168,200 median home value is 10% below Tennessee county median
Lower rent
$665/mo is 17% below Tennessee county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $17/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 89.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$50,381 median income is 12% below Tennessee county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.57% effective property-tax rate is 13% above Tennessee county median
Health context
Health score is 21.5 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Unicoi 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. | $168,200 | $186,300 | $281,900 | 10% favorable10% below Tennessee county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $665 | $804 | $1,163 | 17% favorable17% below Tennessee county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $648 | $695 | $1,672 | 7% favorable7% below Tennessee county median |
Median household income | $50,381 | $57,408 | $74,755 | 12% pressure12% below Tennessee county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.57% | 0.50% | 1.02% | 13% pressure13% above Tennessee county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 15% pressure30.00% 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
+$23,781
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$22,610
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Unicoi County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $665/month in gross rent, with 30.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Unicoi County pay $665/month on average, compared to $648/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 3%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $26,600/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,771/year. With a median household income of $50,381, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Unicoi County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Decatur County where rent averages $716/month, Unicoi County is approximately 7% less expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County, TN | $169,500 | $715/mo | Same-state comparison near $169,500 home value and $715/mo rent. |
| Johnson County, TN | $175,500 | $639/mo | Same-state comparison near $175,500 home value and $639/mo rent. |
| Grainger County, TN | $172,000 | $726/mo | Same-state comparison near $172,000 home value and $726/mo rent. |
| McNairy County, TN | $151,100 | $706/mo | Same-state comparison near $151,100 home value and $706/mo rent. |
| Lewis County, TN | $157,800 | $735/mo | Same-state comparison near $157,800 home value and $735/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Unicoi County
Is Unicoi County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Unicoi County?
How much income do you need for housing in Unicoi County?
What should I double-check before moving to Unicoi County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.