Rent Affordability for A Bus Driver in Tennessee

A typical bus driver in Tennessee earns about $47,674 a year, which supports approximately $1,192 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Tennessee city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 10 of 72 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 62 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Dyersburg, TN$757/mo19.1%very comfortable
Dayton, TN$815/mo20.5%affordable
Martin, TN$930/mo23.4%affordable
Brownsville, TN$932/mo23.5%affordable
Elizabethton, TN$1,067/mo26.9%affordable
Athens, TN$1,085/mo27.3%affordable
Covington, TN$1,100/mo27.7%affordable
Greeneville, TN$1,114/mo28%affordable
Jefferson City, TN$1,152/mo29%affordable
Lawrenceburg, TN$1,170/mo29.5%affordable
Memphis, TN$1,280/mo32.2%stretched
Kingston, TN$1,285/mo32.3%stretched
East Ridge, TN$1,322/mo33.3%stretched
Kingsport, TN$1,355/mo34.1%stretched
Clarksville, TN$1,376/mo34.6%stretched
Red Bank, TN$1,374/mo34.6%stretched
Smithville, TN$1,400/mo35.2%stretched
Bristol, TN$1,415/mo35.6%stretched
Cleveland, TN$1,439/mo36.2%stretched
Soddy-Daisy, TN$1,444/mo36.3%stretched
Jackson, TN$1,451/mo36.5%stretched
Johnson City, TN$1,467/mo36.9%stretched
Crossville, TN$1,484/mo37.4%stretched
Manchester, TN$1,493/mo37.6%stretched
Morristown, TN$1,502/mo37.8%stretched
Chattanooga, TN$1,505/mo37.9%stretched
Springfield, TN$1,554/mo39.1%stretched
Cookeville, TN$1,564/mo39.4%stretched
Tullahoma, TN$1,573/mo39.6%stretched
Hixson, TN$1,577/mo39.7%stretched
Columbia, TN$1,580/mo39.8%stretched
Ashland City, TN$1,580/mo39.8%stretched
Millington, TN$1,599/mo40.2%rent-burdened
Seymour, TN$1,625/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Gallatin, TN$1,633/mo41.1%rent-burdened
Goodlettsville, TN$1,648/mo41.5%rent-burdened
Oak Ridge, TN$1,673/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Collegedale, TN$1,673/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Hendersonville, TN$1,678/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Murfreesboro, TN$1,687/mo42.5%rent-burdened
Smyrna, TN$1,693/mo42.6%rent-burdened
Portland, TN$1,698/mo42.7%rent-burdened
Lebanon, TN$1,704/mo42.9%rent-burdened
Sevierville, TN$1,711/mo43.1%rent-burdened
Lakeland, TN$1,725/mo43.4%rent-burdened
Alcoa, TN$1,732/mo43.6%rent-burdened
Lenoir City, TN$1,732/mo43.6%rent-burdened
Knoxville, TN$1,735/mo43.7%rent-burdened
Jonesborough, TN$1,738/mo43.7%rent-burdened
White House, TN$1,783/mo44.9%rent-burdened
Louisville, TN$1,800/mo45.3%rent-burdened
Dickson, TN$1,808/mo45.5%rent-burdened
Cordova, TN$1,811/mo45.6%rent-burdened
Nashville, TN$1,825/mo45.9%rent-burdened
Bartlett, TN$1,938/mo48.8%rent-burdened
Collierville, TN$1,956/mo49.2%rent-burdened
Maryville, TN$1,955/mo49.2%rent-burdened
Corryton, TN$1,968/mo49.5%rent-burdened
Farragut, TN$2,026/mo51%severely rent-burdened
Spring Hill, TN$2,030/mo51.1%severely rent-burdened
Powell, TN$2,075/mo52.2%severely rent-burdened
Clinton, TN$2,083/mo52.4%severely rent-burdened
Oakland, TN$2,123/mo53.4%severely rent-burdened
Brentwood, TN$2,129/mo53.6%severely rent-burdened
Franklin, TN$2,132/mo53.7%severely rent-burdened
Mount Juliet, TN$2,138/mo53.8%severely rent-burdened
Ooltewah, TN$2,138/mo53.8%severely rent-burdened
Harrison, TN$2,145/mo54%severely rent-burdened
La Vergne, TN$2,158/mo54.3%severely rent-burdened
Thompsons Station, TN$2,281/mo57.4%severely rent-burdened
Arlington, TN$2,480/mo62.4%severely rent-burdened
Germantown, TN$2,533/mo63.8%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Tennessee. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).