1-Bedroom Rent · July 2026

1-Bedroom Apartment Rent in Knoxville, TN

$1,371/mo

Median asking rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Knoxville, Tennessee as of July 2026. That's +21% lower than the citywide median of $1,735 and +2% below the national 1-bedroom median of $1,395.

1-Bedroom median
$1,371
July 2026
vs city overall
-21%
$1,735 city median
vs national
-2%
$1,395 US median
Tennessee rank
#39
of 65 cities

Income needed for a 1-bedroom in Knoxville

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income guideline (the threshold above which households are considered rent-burdened), here's what you need to earn to comfortably afford a 1-bedroom at the current median rent.

Annual income
$54,840
Monthly gross
$4,570
Hourly (full-time)
$26.37

Rent by apartment size in Knoxville

Compare Knoxville's median rent across every apartment size.

Studio
$1,363
1-Bedroom (current)
$1,371
2-Bedroom
$1,679
3-Bedroom
$2,159
4+ Bedroom
$2,533

Cheapest cities for a 1-bedroom in Tennessee

#City1-Bedroom rent
1Greeneville$424
2Crossville$488
3Morristown$625
4Brownsville$690
5Dyersburg$740
6Martin$760
7Cookeville$790
8Elizabethton$810
9Manchester$810
10Kingsport$813
11Bristol$820
12Tullahoma$820
13Athens$840
14Kingston$940
15Jackson$945

Most expensive cities for a 1-bedroom in Tennessee

#City1-Bedroom rent
1Mount Juliet$2,100
2Arlington$2,048
3Thompsons Station$1,893
4Spring Hill$1,890
5La Vergne$1,890
6Farragut$1,890
7Nashville$1,785
8Franklin$1,767
9Brentwood$1,764
10Germantown$1,720
11Hendersonville$1,710
12Lakeland$1,690
13Ooltewah$1,680
14Bartlett$1,615
15Collierville$1,600

Nearby cities — 1-bedroom rent

Considering nearby alternatives? 5 of these cities have cheaper 1-bedroom rents than Knoxville.

CityDistance1-Bedroom rentvs Knoxville
Powell, TN7.3 mi$1,130$-241 (-18%)
Louisville, TN11.4 mi$970$-401 (-29%)
Alcoa, TN12.5 mi$1,230$-141 (-10%)
Farragut, TN15.2 mi$1,890+$519 (+38%)
Clinton, TN16.1 mi$1,070$-301 (-22%)
Maryville, TN18.5 mi$1,207$-164 (-12%)
Seymour, TN18.8 mi$1,110$-261 (-19%)
Lenoir City, TN20.8 mi$1,450+$79 (+6%)
Oak Ridge, TN21.6 mi$1,150$-221 (-16%)
Sevierville, TN29.4 mi$1,026$-345 (-25%)
Kingston, TN37 mi$940$-431 (-31%)
Morristown, TN50 mi$625$-746 (-54%)

1-Bedroom rent in Knoxville — common questions

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Knoxville?

As of July 2026, the median 1-bedroom apartment rent in Knoxville, Tennessee is $1,371 per month. This is +21% below the citywide median of $1,735.

What income do you need to afford a 1-bedroom in Knoxville?

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income rule, you would need an annual income of about $54,840 ($4,570/month gross), which works out to roughly $26.37/hour at a full-time job.

Is Knoxville expensive for a 1-bedroom compared to the rest of the US?

Knoxville's 1-bedroom median of $1,371 is +2% below the national 1-bedroom median of $1,395. It ranks in the 49th percentile of US cities tracked.

How does Knoxville rank for 1-bedroom rent in Tennessee?

Among the 65 cities in Tennessee with 1-bedroom data, Knoxville ranks #39 from cheapest to most expensive.

Are there cheaper 1-bedroom options near Knoxville?

Yes — nearby cities with cheaper 1-bedroom rents include Powell ($1,130), Louisville ($970), Alcoa ($1,230).

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Methodology: Bedroom-level rent medians come from HUD Fair Market Rent data calibrated to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for Knoxville, which serves as the citywide anchor. When the HUD bedroom values exceed the ZORI city median (a common quirk in luxury markets and small samples), bedroom values are proportionally scaled down to align. Income required uses the standard 30% rent-to-income guideline. Comparison rankings use the same data month across all cities (July 2026) and exclude cities with median rent below $400 or above $20,000.