ZIP Code · TN

ZIP 37938

Part of Knoxville, TN

Pop. 17,437·Knox County·10th most expensive ZIP in Tennessee

Median rent (all units)

$2,174/mo

Year-over-Year

Stable

Month-over-Month

+0.2%

vs US Median

+$242

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 37938 · $2,174

More expensive than 69% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,170

1 BR

$1,180

2 BR

$1,460

3 BR

$1,860

4 BR+

$2,170

Research median

$1,460/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($84,135) is $2,103 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,860); a 4-bedroom is $2,170.

Rank in Knoxville

14th cheapest of 14 ZIP codes in Knoxville.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 37918, 5 miles away, rents for 27% less ($1,596/mo), about $6,900 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 37938. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$26,088/yr

At $2,174/mo median

Location

CityKnoxville

StateTN

CountyKnox County

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.0% YoY, +0.2% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 37938 (Knoxville, TN) is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, 34.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

17,437

Median income

$84,135

Median age

47.8

Renters

8.6%

Age distribution

18.9%

15.4%

27%

17%

21.7%

Under 1818.9%

18–3415.4%

35–5427%

55–6417%

65+21.7%

Gender

50.3%

49.7%

Male50.3%

Female49.7%

Race & ethnicity

92.6%

White92.6%

Black1.9%

Hispanic1.7%

Asian1.5%

Other2.3%

Education (25+)

27.7%

33.1%

34.1%

No HS diploma5.1%

HS diploma27.7%

Some college33.1%

Bachelor's+34.1%

Housing tenure

91.4%

Owner91.4%

Renter8.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 37938 in Knoxville, TN has changed in 5 years

Income

$78,978 → $84,135

up 6.5%

Population

17,021 → 17,437

up 2.4%

Renter share

10.9% → 8.6%

-2.3 pts

Bachelor's+

30.6% → 34.1%

+3.5 pts

Median age

45.7 → 47.8

+2.1 yrs

On the earnings side, the typical household in ZIP 37938 in Knoxville, TN now reports about $84,135, up from $78,978 in 2021. Census counts show ZIP 37938 in Knoxville, TN adding about 416 residents over the five-year window, up 2.4% on net. The renter share has eased from 10.9% to 8.6%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 30.6% to 34.1% across the same window.

Community

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Local insights

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About renting in ZIP 37938

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 37938 covers Knoxville, TN. The median rent here is $2,174/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,180/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,460/mo.

At 31% of local median household income ($84,135/yr), ZIP 37938 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rent prices have stayed steady over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 37938?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $87,000/year (about $42/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $2,174/mo in ZIP 37938. The local median household income is $84,135/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.