Polk County, Tennessee Housing Market Prices
Polk County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 34% below the Tennessee median$169,999
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Median rent 43% below the Tennessee median Cheaper than 93% of counties in Tennessee$675
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $169,999 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 13.1% | 9.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $675 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 0.5% | 5.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Polk County is about 34% lower than in Tennessee. Rent is about 43% lower than the Tennessee average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 13.1% and 0.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Polk County rose about 5.4% between 2015 and 2024, from $641 to $675. Over the same span, rent in Tennessee rose about 55.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.7 yearly household incomes in Polk County.
Buying the median-priced home in Polk County costs roughly 21.0 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Polk County. The price-to-rent ratio in Tennessee is about 17.9.
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $169,999 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $62,323 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Polk County rose about 138.3%, while median household income rose about 78.4% between 2009 and 2025 — 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 | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 68.5% | 60.1% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 13.4% | 29.7% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 18.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2012 | 2011 |
Polk County has a homeownership rate of 68.5%, higher than the Tennessee average of 60.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 18.1%, compared with 10.2% in Tennessee.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.38 people | 2.45 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1989 | 1986 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Polk County was built around 1989. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.5 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Polk County, TN Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, TN is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 17,897 residents against a local median of 47,723. Polk County, TN's median home price, at $169,999, runs 23% below the $221,608 typical of the counties around it.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $675 against a local median of $878, 23% below it. The counties themselves spread $288,289 on median home price, so Polk County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, TN | 17,897 | $169,999 #4/5 | $675 #5/5 | 83.6% #1/5 |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | $146,249 | $803 | 75.8% |
| Fannin County, GA | 25,731 | $434,538 | $899 | 78.6% |
| Bradley County, TN | 110,691 | $223,495 | $1,029 | 67.3% |
| Murray County, GA | 40,562 | $219,722 | $857 | 73.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Polk County, Tennessee.
What is the median home price in Polk County, Tennessee?
The median home price in Polk County, Tennessee is $169,999, lower than the Tennessee average of $255,786.
What is the average home price in Polk County, Tennessee?
The typical home price in Polk County, Tennessee, reported as the median sale price, is $169,999. 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 Polk County, Tennessee?
The median gross rent in Polk County, Tennessee is $675 per month, lower than the Tennessee average of $1,188.
What was the median gross rent in Polk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Polk County, Tennessee was $655 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Tennessee?
The price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Tennessee is about 21.0, meaning it would take roughly 21.0 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Polk County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Polk County, Tennessee?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 13.1% and 0.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Polk County, Tennessee?
68.5% of households in Polk County, Tennessee own their home, higher than the Tennessee average of 60.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Polk County, Tennessee?
The housing vacancy rate in Polk County, Tennessee is 18.1%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.2%.
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