Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Oak Ridge, TN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23% of gross income.
Oak Ridge rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Tennessee state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Tennessee cities have lower median rent than Oak Ridge, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Oak Ridge
View full rent data for Oak Ridge, TN →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Oak Ridge, TN?
Median rent in Oak Ridge is $1,668 a month. A typical registered nurse in Tennessee earns about $86,922 a year, which makes that rent 23% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Oak Ridge?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Tennessee (~$86,922/yr) supports up to $2,173 a month in rent. Oak Ridge's current median rent is $1,668/mo, which leaves a $505/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Oak Ridge?
At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a registered nurse in Tennessee works roughly 39.9 hours a month to cover Oak Ridge's median rent of $1,668.
Where is rent cheaper than Oak Ridge for a registered nurse?
Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Murfreesboro ($1,667/mo), Lakeland ($1,667/mo), Alcoa ($1,666/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.