Rent Affordability for A Firefighter in Tennessee
A typical firefighter in Tennessee earns about $57,785 a year, which supports approximately $1,445 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. 20 of 72 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 52 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyersburg, TN | $757/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Dayton, TN | $815/mo | 16.9% | very comfortable |
| Martin, TN | $930/mo | 19.3% | very comfortable |
| Brownsville, TN | $932/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Elizabethton, TN | $1,067/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| Athens, TN | $1,085/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Covington, TN | $1,100/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Greeneville, TN | $1,114/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| Jefferson City, TN | $1,152/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Lawrenceburg, TN | $1,170/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Memphis, TN | $1,280/mo | 26.6% | affordable |
| Kingston, TN | $1,285/mo | 26.7% | affordable |
| East Ridge, TN | $1,322/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Kingsport, TN | $1,355/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Red Bank, TN | $1,374/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Clarksville, TN | $1,376/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Smithville, TN | $1,400/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Bristol, TN | $1,415/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Cleveland, TN | $1,439/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Soddy-Daisy, TN | $1,444/mo | 30% | affordable |
| Jackson, TN | $1,451/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Johnson City, TN | $1,467/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Crossville, TN | $1,484/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Manchester, TN | $1,493/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Morristown, TN | $1,502/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,505/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Springfield, TN | $1,554/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Cookeville, TN | $1,564/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Tullahoma, TN | $1,573/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Hixson, TN | $1,577/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Columbia, TN | $1,580/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Ashland City, TN | $1,580/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Millington, TN | $1,599/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Seymour, TN | $1,625/mo | 33.7% | stretched |
| Gallatin, TN | $1,633/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Goodlettsville, TN | $1,648/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| Oak Ridge, TN | $1,673/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Collegedale, TN | $1,673/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Hendersonville, TN | $1,678/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Murfreesboro, TN | $1,687/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Smyrna, TN | $1,693/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Portland, TN | $1,698/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Lebanon, TN | $1,704/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Sevierville, TN | $1,711/mo | 35.5% | stretched |
| Lakeland, TN | $1,725/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,735/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Alcoa, TN | $1,732/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Lenoir City, TN | $1,732/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Jonesborough, TN | $1,738/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| White House, TN | $1,783/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Louisville, TN | $1,800/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Dickson, TN | $1,808/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Cordova, TN | $1,811/mo | 37.6% | stretched |
| Nashville, TN | $1,825/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Bartlett, TN | $1,938/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Collierville, TN | $1,956/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Maryville, TN | $1,955/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Corryton, TN | $1,968/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Farragut, TN | $2,026/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Spring Hill, TN | $2,030/mo | 42.2% | rent-burdened |
| Powell, TN | $2,075/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Clinton, TN | $2,083/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Oakland, TN | $2,123/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Brentwood, TN | $2,129/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Franklin, TN | $2,132/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Mount Juliet, TN | $2,138/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Ooltewah, TN | $2,138/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Harrison, TN | $2,145/mo | 44.5% | rent-burdened |
| La Vergne, TN | $2,158/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Thompsons Station, TN | $2,281/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, TN | $2,480/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Germantown, TN | $2,533/mo | 52.6% | severely rent-burdened |