What salary do you need to live in Knoxville, TN?

What housing costs in Knoxville

Census figures put the median gross rent in the Knoxville, TN metro at $896 for a one-bedroom, $1,153 for a two-bedroom and $1,306 for a three-bedroom. Moving from one to two bedrooms adds $257 a month, and the third bedroom another $153.

Homeowners in Knoxville report a median home value of $290,200. With median household income at $72,422, a typical home costs 4.0× a typical income, close to the middle of the range across US metros.

Price levels matter beyond rent. The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures Knoxville's overall prices at 92.6 on a scale where the nation is 100, which makes a $100,000 salary feel like about $108,028 would elsewhere.

Knoxville: the pre-tax income for each grade

For two bedrooms, $136,000 is where Knoxville turns Comfortable. Below that, $68,000 marks the start of Okay and $34,000 the start of Tight; under $34,000 the score reads Stretched. Rent at the Comfortable line is 10% of gross pay.

The Royal grade is within reach at $365,000 a year, where both rent and the median home price look small next to income.

Nothing here is a separate rule of thumb; plug any of these incomes into the calculator with two bedrooms and Knoxville shows the matching grade.

Scores at $50K, $75K, $100K and $150K in Knoxville

Choosing a bigger place in Knoxville at $75,000 trims the score from 52 to 46 without leaving Okay.

Of the four salaries, $150,000 is the first where a two-bedroom reads Comfortable or better; $100,000 still lands at Okay.

Knoxville compared with every US metro

Out of 387 metros, Knoxville has the 228th highest price parity and the 173rd highest two-bedroom rent, which puts it near the middle on overall prices and near the middle on rent.

Next to Knoxville on the national rent ranking: Longview-Kelso, WA ($1,163) and Waco, TX ($1,151).

Comparing Knoxville with Tennessee

Statewide, Tennessee's median two-bedroom rent is $1,143 and its median home value $286,700. Knoxville's rent is +1% against that, and its home value +1%; the price parity is 92.6 versus 91.9 for the state.

Run Tennessee's statewide medians through the same score and Comfortable begins at $132,000; Knoxville's line is +3% from that.

If Knoxville is on your list, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, Chattanooga, TN-GA, and Clarksville, TN-KY are the most similar Tennessee metros by two-bedroom rent and price level; the table shows where each turns Comfortable.

Where the typical Knoxville household lands

The median household in the metro earns $72,422 (ACS 2020-2024). Run through the calculator with two bedrooms, that scores 47, Okay. That falls $63,578 short of the $136,000 Comfortable line, a reminder that the typical household here spends a larger share on housing than the Comfortable band allows. Statewide, the Tennessee median household ($69,595) grades Okay on the state's own medians. Since a household can have two or more earners, compare it with a combined income rather than one paycheck.

All figures are pre-tax estimates from public data, not financial advice.