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Most Affordable Counties in Tennessee

Ranked by the share of Tennessee occupations whose take-home pay covers a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline.

Most affordable counties in Tennessee
#CountyJobs covering basicsJobs listed1-bedroom rentMedian household incomeRent / income
1Hickman County, TN100%29$786/mo$68,24713.8%
2Smith County, TN100%29$876/mo$66,29315.9%
3Macon County, TN100%29$914/mo$59,17718.5%
4Maury County, TN100%29$1,330/mo$76,13021.0%
5Davidson County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$77,85325.4%
6Rutherford County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$85,47023.2%
7Williamson County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$135,59414.6%
8Sumner County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$90,30121.9%
9Wilson County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$95,83920.7%
10Robertson County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$83,04723.8%
11Dickson County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$75,00326.4%
12Cheatham County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$89,85222.0%
13Cannon County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$59,44333.3%
14Trousdale County, TN93%29$1,650/mo$72,74727.2%

Most affordable counties in Tennessee

We ranked 14 Tennessee counties that have at least 20 occupations published on this site. The ranking measures how many of those occupations pay enough, at the local median wage, to cover a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline after federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxes. Hickman County, TN leads: 100% of its 29 occupations clear that bar, with a HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $786 a month.

Ties are broken by the lower one-bedroom rent, then by population. Where the Census Bureau publishes it, the table also shows median household income (American Community Survey 2020-2024) and what a year of one-bedroom rent equals as a share of it. Open a county to see every occupation and its take-home pay.