Metropolitan Area

Knoxville, TN

Tennessee0
57
/100
Hold
#588 of 894 metros
Top 66% nationally for investing

Market Snapshot

$367,158
Median Home Price
44% above national median
$1,762/mo
Median Rent
27% above national median
5.76%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Top 53% nationally
-$780
Est. Monthly Cash Flow
With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.

Quick Investment Calculator

20%
5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$367,158
Down Payment (20%)$73,432
Loan Amount$293,726
Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,762
Monthly P&I-$1,925
Est. Expenses (35%)-$617
Net Cash Flow-$780/mo
3.7%
Cap Rate (all cash)
-11.1%
Cash-on-Cash Return
5.76%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 3.7% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score
57/100
57
Cash Flow(30%)
56/100

Based on 5.76% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)
68/100

Based on 2.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)
50/100

Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.

Affordability(20%)
51/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

  • +Low unemployment (0.0%)

Challenges

  • -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$780/mo)
  • -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.7% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Counties in Knoxville, TN

County data is being compiled for this metro area.

Section 8 in Knoxville, TN: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.

Compare to Similar Metros

Metro AreaVerdict
Huron, SD
Huron, SD
77$192,112Est.Strong BuyView
Galesburg, IL
Galesburg, IL
77$119,882$8618.62%Strong BuyView
Fort Madison, IA
Fort Madison, IA
77$125,903Est.Strong BuyView
Quincy, IL
Quincy, IL
77$187,232$1,1977.67%Strong BuyView
Ponca City, OK
Ponca City, OK
77$114,874$8068.42%Strong BuyView
Current
Knoxville, TN
57$367,158$1,7625.76%Hold

The Bottom Line

HoldKnoxville, TN is a neutral market. Consider house hacking or targeting below-market deals in specific counties.

The Knoxville, TN metro area scores 57/100, ranking #588 of 894 US metros (top 66%). The 5.76% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.

Monthly Cash Flow
$-780/mo
Cap Rate
3.7%
Cash-on-Cash
-12.7%

Ready to Invest in Knoxville, TN?

Use our investment calculators to run detailed numbers on specific properties, or explore individual counties for more targeted opportunities.