Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $253,159 | $235,307 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 7.4% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,179 | $1,121 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Knox County is about 8% higher than in Tennessee. Rent is about 5% higher than the Tennessee average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Knox County, up about 7.4% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Knox County rose about 48.9% between 2015 and 2023, from $792 to $1,179. Over the same span, rent in Tennessee rose about 46.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.5 yearly household incomes in Knox County.
Buying the median-priced home in Knox County costs roughly 17.9 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Knox County. The price-to-rent ratio in Tennessee is about 17.5.
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $253,159 | $235,307 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $71,964 | $67,486 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Knox County rose about 70.3%, while median household income rose about 55.6% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.7% | 60.0% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 32.2% | 29.5% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 8.1% | 10.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
Knox County has a homeownership rate of 59.7%, about the same as the Tennessee average of 60.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 8.1%, compared with 10.6% in Tennessee.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.41 people | 2.47 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1982 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Knox County was built around 1982. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Knox County, Tennessee.
What is the median home price in Knox County, Tennessee?
The median home price in Knox County, Tennessee is $253,159, higher than the Tennessee average of $235,307.
What is the average home price in Knox County, Tennessee?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Knox County, Tennessee?
The median gross rent in Knox County, Tennessee is $1,179 per month, higher than the Tennessee average of $1,121.
What was the median gross rent in Knox County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Knox County, Tennessee was $933 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Knox County, Tennessee?
The price-to-rent ratio in Knox County, Tennessee is about 17.9, meaning it would take roughly 17.9 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Knox County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Knox County, Tennessee?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Knox County, up about 7.4% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Knox County, Tennessee?
59.7% of households in Knox County, Tennessee own their home, about the same as the Tennessee average.
What is the vacancy rate in Knox County, Tennessee?
The housing vacancy rate in Knox County, Tennessee is 8.1%, lower than the Tennessee average of 10.6%.