Rents are 6% below what Cookeville's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,480 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Cookeville is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in September 2021.
Rent in Cookeville changed +2.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 51 Tennessee cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.0%.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($51,375) is $1,284 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,010); a 3-bedroom is $1,380.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Cookeville. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Cookeville, TN is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 34.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Cookeville, TN has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Cookeville, TN has shifted from $1,287 to $1,480, up 15.0% since 2022. Median household income climbed from $43,611 to $51,375 between 2021 and 2024, a 17.8% shift. Census counts show Cookeville, TN adding about 2,020 residents over the five-year window, up 5.9% on net. Taken together, the five-year picture in Cookeville, TN reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Cookeville on your salary?
At $1,480/mo, how Cookeville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Cookeville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Cookeville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Cookeville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Cookeville is $1,480/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $760/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,010/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $790/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,380/mo.
At 35% of local median household income ($51,375/yr), Cookeville ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Cookeville?
Is rent going up or down in Cookeville?
How does Cookeville rent compare to other cities in Tennessee?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Cookeville?
At $1,480/mo, rent takes ~35% of Cookeville's median household income ($51,375/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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