Is Knox County, TN good for real estate investing?

Knox County has an investment score of 54/100, rated as "Hold". The county ranks #2339 nationally among 3073 counties analyzed.

What is the rent-to-price ratio in Knox?

The rent-to-price ratio in Knox County is 5.51% annually, which ranks in the 40th percentile nationally. Higher ratios indicate better cash flow potential.

What is the median home price in Knox?

The median home price in Knox County is $376,337. This ranks #2552 in affordability among all US counties.

Can you cash flow on rental properties in Knox?

Based on median values with 20% down at current rates, a typical rental in Knox County would generate negative cash flow of $961/month. Individual property performance varies based on purchase price, rent, and operating expenses.

Knox, TN Real Estate Investing (2026)

Scenario comparison

Same $1,729/mo rent assumption, 20% down, 7.40% rate. What changes is the acquisition price.

Scenario	Purchase price	Monthly cash flow	Cap rate	Cash-on-cash
75% of median value-add or distressed	$282,253	-$440/mo	4.8%	-8.1%
Median typical MLS deal	$376,337	-$961/mo	3.6%	-13.3%
125% of median newer / premium	$470,421	-$1,482/mo	2.9%	-16.4%

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Historical data from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

Quick Investment Calculator

Down Payment20%

5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$376,337

Down Payment (20%)$75,267

Loan Amount$301,070

Interest Rate7.40%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,729

Monthly P&I-$2,085

Est. Expenses (35%)-$605

Net Cash Flow-$961/mo

3.6%

Cap Rate (all cash)

-13.3%

Cash-on-Cash Return

5.51%

Rent-to-Price Ratio

Negative leverage: At 7.40% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 3.6% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on county median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Actual results vary by property.

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Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score

54/100

Cash Flow(30%)

53/100

Based on 5.51% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)

62/100

Based on 1.2% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)

50/100

Population data not available.

Affordability(20%)

49/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. Markets with missing rent data use estimated values based on regional averages.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

+Complete rent data available

Challenges

-Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$961/mo)
-Negative leverage (cap rate 3.6% < mortgage rate 7.4%)

Economic Indicators

Population

481,406

Median Income

—

Data pending

Unemployment Rate

—

Data pending

Price-to-Income

—

Data pending

Who this market fits

Best for

+All-cash buyers: removing debt service flips the cap rate to actual yield

Skip if

−You need positive cash flow on day one at typical leverage
−You can't tolerate negative leverage (cap rate below mortgage rate today)

Compare to Tennessee counties with similar scores

County					Verdict
StewartTN	55	$250,802	Est. pending	—	Hold	View
WarrenTN	55	$254,138	$853	4.03%	Hold	View
CurrentKnoxTN	54	$376,337	$1,729	5.51%	Hold
FayetteTN	54	$367,601	$2,032	6.63%	Hold	View
BedfordTN	53	$326,906	$1,356	4.98%	Hold	View
RobertsonTN	52	$369,103	$1,711	5.56%	Hold	View

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

The Bottom Line

HoldKnox is a neutral market. Consider house hacking or targeting below-market deals.

Knox County in Tennessee scores 54/100, ranking #2339 of 3,073 US counties (top 76%). At 20% down and current rates, a median-priced rental loses about $961/month; the 5.51% gross rent-to-price ratio doesn't survive debt service. The thesis here is appreciation, value-add, house hacking, or all-cash.

Monthly Cash Flow

$-961/mo

Cap Rate

3.6%

Cash-on-Cash

-13.3%

Related markets

Markets like Knox with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Knox

Head-to-head comparisons

All counties in Tennessee →

Average rent by city in Knox County

Average rent in Knoxville$1,738/mo

Typical asking rent across each city's ZIP codes (Zillow Observed Rent Index). Open a city for rent by ZIP and bedroom count.

Rent vs buy in Tennessee cities

Rent vs buy in Nashville, TNMedian $429,292 · rent $1,780/mo Rent vs buy in Memphis, TNMedian $215,746 · rent $1,364/mo Rent vs buy in Knoxville, TNMedian $369,942 · rent $1,788/mo Rent vs buy in Chattanooga, TNMedian $347,463 · rent $1,500/mo Rent vs buy in Clarksville, TNMedian $318,518 · rent $1,386/mo All Tennessee citiesFull rent-vs-buy directory for the state

Knox County

Market Snapshot

Scenario comparison

Price History

Quick Investment Calculator

Purchase

Monthly Cash Flow

Score Breakdown

Investment Outlook

Strengths

Challenges

Economic Indicators

Who this market fits

Compare to Tennessee counties with similar scores

The Bottom Line

Related markets

Markets like Knox with stronger cash flow

Cheaper alternatives to Knox

Head-to-head comparisons

Average rent by city in Knox County

Rent vs buy in Tennessee cities

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