How much rent can you afford in Knoxville, TN?
Run your salary against Knoxville's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Knoxville
At a median rent of $1,735/mo, Knoxville is moderately stretched when measured against Knoxville median household income of $54,039/yr. Rent would consume roughly 39% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $69,400 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Knoxville compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Knoxville?
On a $54,039 salary (the Knoxville median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,351/mo. Knoxville's median rent is $1,735/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Knoxville?
To keep Knoxville's $1,735/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $69,400/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Knoxville affordable on the median Tennessee income?
Knoxville is moderately stretched on a $54,039 income. Rent would take 39% of pre-tax pay, outside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".