Claiborne County

Claiborne County scores 74 overall and lands in the 91st percentile nationally out of 1,000 counties tracked, ranking 3rd in Tennessee. The appreciation score of 86 is the headline number here: median home prices sit at $227,937, up 4.89% year-over-year, and the affordability index of 81 signals that prices remain accessible relative to income. The cash-flow score, however, is 0, which means the data does not support underwriting this as a current income-generating market, at least not without significant value-add work or local market knowledge that pushes rents above what the county average implies. There is no cap rate or cash-on-cash return to report from the available data, and investors should treat that absence seriously before deploying capital here on an income basis.

This is an appreciation play, and the numbers make that case clearly. A buyer at $227,937, with a 20% down payment of $45,587, is entering at a price point well below most comparable Tennessee markets, and the 4.89% price appreciation over the past year suggests the market is moving. The affordability index of 81 keeps the entry point realistic for a buy-and-hold strategy where the thesis is equity accumulation over five to ten years rather than day-one cash flow. Cash-flow buyers will struggle here, given the zero score in that category, unless they find deeply discounted distressed inventory or can force appreciation through renovation. Value-add operators who can lift rents on underpriced assets may find opportunity given the low median price, but they need to validate actual achievable rents on the ground before committing, because the modeled data does not support an income conclusion.

No economic anchor data was provided for Claiborne County, so employer-level demand drivers cannot be assessed from this dataset. Investors should independently research the local employment base and commuter patterns, particularly relative to Knoxville and the broader East Tennessee corridor, before making stability assumptions. The stability score of 50 is a caution flag: it sits at the midpoint, suggesting neither strong economic diversification nor obvious fragility, but an investor cannot call this market defensive without more information.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance estimate comes to $203, based on a state-average effective property tax rate of 0.71% and an insurance rate of 0.36%. The tax rate falls in the "normal" range, neither a tailwind nor a drag that requires special attention in your underwrite. That said, per the Tax Foundation 2024 estimate used here, this is a state-average figure; actual Claiborne County or township-level rates may differ, and you should pull the county assessor's current millage rate before finalizing any pro forma. At $203 per month combined, the fixed carry is modest and does not meaningfully impair the investment thesis either way.

The primary risk in Claiborne County is the population size: 32,092 residents is a small market. Small markets carry concentration risk, meaning that a single employer departure, a school district decline, or a demographic shift can move the needle on vacancies and rents much faster than in larger metros. The stability score of 50 reinforces this concern. Investors accustomed to Knoxville or Nashville should calibrate expectations around thinner tenant pools and potentially longer days-on-market when it's time to sell or re-lease. There is no vacancy or crime data in this dataset to quantify those risks further, but small-market dynamics alone warrant conservative vacancy assumptions in any pro forma.

Compared to the five neighboring counties provided, Claiborne at $227,937 and an overall score of 74 looks meaningfully better than its peers. Rhea and Lincoln counties both score 68 and carry higher median prices ($266,373 and $257,281 respectively), meaning an investor pays more for a lower-ranked market. Carroll County scores 63 with a lower median of $180,314, but that score gap relative to Claiborne suggests the additional discount does not compensate for quality. Anderson County at $301,800 and Greene County at $240,638 both have reported rent-to-price ratios of roughly 6.4% to 6.5%, which actually suggests those markets may generate better income relative to price than Claiborne does given Claiborne's zero cash-flow score. If cash flow is the priority, Anderson or Greene deserve a closer look despite their lower overall scores. If the thesis is appreciation and entry-point affordability with a long hold horizon, Claiborne's combination of a 91st-percentile national rank, sub-$230K median, and 4.89% price growth makes it the stronger choice among these five neighbors.