Obion County

Obion County comes in at a median home price of $169,586, a 7.3% year-over-year gain, and an affordability index of 94 out of 100. That combination puts it at the far affordable end of the spectrum. The overall score of 80 and a 99th-percentile national ranking (7th out of 1,000 counties) reflect primarily its appreciation trajectory and price accessibility rather than cash-flow mechanics, since the cap rate, cash-on-cash return, and estimated cash flow figures are not available in the current data set. What the appreciation score of 93 tells you is that price momentum here is exceptional relative to peers, while the stability score of 50 suggests the market is not the steadiest ride, a trade-off common in smaller rural counties where thin transaction volume can amplify swings in either direction.

The appreciation score of 93 paired with a price point under $170,000 makes Obion most legible as a play for the appreciation-oriented buyer who wants to enter a market before prices normalize upward, or the value-add operator looking to acquire cheaply and force equity through improvements. A cash-flow buyer working from conventional underwriting will want to do careful local rent research before committing, because the cash flow and cap rate fields are absent from this data set and cannot be assumed. At a 20% down payment of $33,917 and a 6.85% rate, the mortgage payment will be material relative to rents in a county at this price tier, so actual rent comps on the ground are the deciding variable before any cash-flow conclusion can be drawn. The affordability index of 94 does suggest the local population can absorb rents without extreme pressure, which supports occupancy, but that alone does not guarantee positive cash flow.

No economic anchor or employer data was provided for Obion County, so the underlying drivers of rental demand cannot be assessed from this data set. What the population figure of 30,670 does communicate is that this is a small county. Small-market dynamics mean that a single large employer or a single plant closure can move vacancy meaningfully. Investors should conduct primary research on the local employment base, particularly any industrial or agricultural anchors in the Union City area, before sizing a position here.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance figure of $151 is relatively contained. The state-average effective property tax rate is 0.71%, which the Tax Foundation classifies as normal, and the state-average insurance rate is 0.36%, producing $1,204 and $611 annually, respectively. Neither figure is a deal-killer, but the standard caveat applies: these are state-average estimates, and actual county and township rates in Obion may differ, so pull the county assessor data before finalizing your underwrite. The insurance figure in particular deserves a hard look, as rural West Tennessee properties can carry wind and storm exposure that pushes actual premiums above state averages.

The primary risk in Obion is concentration and demographic scale. A population of 30,670 means the rental pool is shallow. Tenant turnover, a softening local economy, or any reduction in the area's working-age population could push vacancy in ways that would not register in a larger metro. No vacancy data was provided, but small-county dynamics make this the first due-diligence question for any investor building more than a property or two here. Regulatory risk in Tennessee is generally landlord-friendly at the state level, though local ordinance research is always warranted.

Relative to its neighbors, Obion's median price of $169,586 is the lowest in the comparison set. Carroll County is the closest at $180,314 with an overall score of 63, seventeen points below Obion's 80. Claiborne County scores 74 at $228,611. Rhea and Lincoln counties sit at 68 each, with medians of $266,373 and $257,281, respectively. Anderson County, the highest-priced neighbor at $301,800, scores 62 overall despite a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0636 and a median rent of $1,601. Obion is the choice over these neighbors when an investor's primary thesis is price-momentum at minimum entry cost, or when capital constraints make sub-$170,000 acquisition necessary. If cash-flow certainty is the priority, Anderson County's visible rent-to-price ratio of 6.4% at least gives the underwriter a known starting point, even though its overall score is lower. Obion demands more ground-level rent research to validate, but for an investor willing to do that work, the entry price and appreciation trajectory justify the effort.