How much rent can you afford in Nashville, TN?
Run your salary against Nashville's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Nashville
At a median rent of $1,820/mo, Nashville is moderately stretched when measured against Tennessee median income of $67,631/yr. Rent would consume roughly 32% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $72,800 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
Based on Tennessee median income. Nashville-specific income data isn't available yet, so state-level medians are used as a proxy.
How Nashville compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Nashville?
On a $67,631 salary (the Tennessee median income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,691/mo. Nashville's median rent is $1,820/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Nashville?
To keep Nashville's $1,820/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $72,800/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Nashville affordable on the median Tennessee income?
Nashville is moderately stretched on a $67,631 income. Rent would take 32% 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".