The cheapest cities to rent in Tennessee: Memphis leads at $1,232 a month
Memphis is the cheapest large city to rent in Tennessee, with a typical rent of $1,232 a month, according to RentDataNow data for August 2026. It's the only Tennessee city of 25,000 or more people where typical rent is under $1,250.
The table ranks the 15 cheapest of Tennessee's 28 cities with at least 25,000 residents. Alongside rent, it shows each city's median household income and the share of that income a typical rent would take. Across all 72 Tennessee cities we track, the median typical rent is $1,605.
Rank | City | Typical rent | 1-year change | Median household income | Rent as share of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | $1,232 | +1.3% | $51,736 | 28.6% | |
2 | $1,294 | +3.9% | $52,490 | 29.6% | |
3 | $1,374 | +2.1% | $69,303 | 23.8% | |
4 | $1,392 | +4.8% | $58,162 | 28.7% | |
5 | $1,400 | +1.2% | $58,559 | 28.7% | |
6 | $1,421 | +2.2% | $53,032 | 32.2% | |
7 | $1,436 | -0.1% | $47,917 | 36.0% | |
8 | $1,449 | +2.5% | $57,254 | 30.4% | |
9 | $1,463 | +1.0% | $51,375 | 34.2% | |
10 | $1,513 | +2.2% | $64,523 | 28.1% | |
11 | $1,576 | +2.5% | $63,719 | 29.7% | |
12 | $1,639 | +2.2% | $72,848 | 27.0% | |
13 | $1,660 | +1.2% | $77,518 | 25.7% | |
14 | $1,674 | +3.0% | $97,200 | 20.7% | |
15 | $1,675 | +2.0% | $80,108 | 25.1% |
East Tennessee holds six of the 15
Kingsport, at $1,294, is the second-cheapest city on the list, and East Tennessee fills out much of the rest: Bristol, Cleveland, Morristown, Johnson City, and Chattanooga all make the top 10. Bristol posted the biggest increase on the list, up 4.8% over the year, and Morristown was the only city where rent slipped, down 0.1%.
Morristown's rent takes the biggest share of income
Measured against income, Morristown carries the heaviest burden on the list. Its typical rent of $1,436 takes 36.0% of the city's $47,917 median household income. Four of the 15 are past the 30% line: Morristown, Cookeville, Jackson, and Johnson City.
Clarksville, home to Fort Campbell, strikes the best balance. At $1,374 it's the third-cheapest city on the list, and against a median household income of $69,303 its rent takes 23.8%, a lower share than anywhere on the list except Hendersonville's 20.7%. Just off the list, Knoxville's $1,712 typical rent takes 38.0% of its median household income, higher than any city in the table.
Around Nashville, rent climbs quickly
Nashville's typical rent is $1,834, and nearby Franklin ($2,074) and Brentwood ($2,031) cost more than the city itself, a pattern we covered in why Franklin and Brentwood cost more than Nashville. Columbia, at $1,576, is the cheapest Nashville-area city on this list, and Lebanon, Gallatin, Hendersonville, and Murfreesboro all fall between $1,639 and $1,675. Our Nashville rent guide has the city's own numbers.
For the same kind of ranking in other Southern states, see the cheapest cities to rent in Texas and the most affordable cities in Florida.
Sources
RentDataNow Tennessee rent data, anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, August 2026
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, for median household income and population
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in Tennessee?
Among Tennessee cities with at least 25,000 residents, Memphis is cheapest, with a typical rent of $1,232 a month in August 2026. Kingsport ($1,294) and Clarksville ($1,374) come next.
Where is rent most affordable in Tennessee relative to income?
Hendersonville and Clarksville. Typical rent takes 20.7% of median household income in Hendersonville and 23.8% in Clarksville, well under the 30% guideline, based on August 2026 rents and Census income data.
How much is rent in Tennessee?
Across the 72 Tennessee cities RentDataNow tracks, the median typical rent was $1,605 a month in August 2026. Among larger cities it ranges from $1,232 in Memphis to more than $2,000 in Franklin, Brentwood, and Germantown.
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Jennifer Han is the editor in chief of RentDataNow, covering rent trends, housing costs, and more. She was a real-estate agent before she moved to writing about the market.
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