Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bluff City, Tennessee
A $147,000 home here costs
$1,215per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $756. The real number is $459 higher every month — 61% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bluff City against Sullivan County and Tennessee
| Measure | Bluff City | Sullivan County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $147,400 | $190,800 |
| Median property tax | $920 | $1,205 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.624% | 0.632% |
| Median gross rent | $889 | $850 |
| Population | 2,268 | 159,693 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bluff City sits in Sullivan County, which averages a high of 86.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 26.3°F in its coldest, with 43.97" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,105 cooling and 4,150 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sullivan County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sullivan County
Full Sullivan County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bluff City?
A $147,000 home in Bluff City, Tennessee costs approximately $1,215 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $756 principal and interest, $76 property tax, $62 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $123 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bluff City?
Bluff City has an effective property tax rate of 0.624%, based on a median home value of $147,400 and median real estate taxes of $920. That is in line with the Sullivan County average of 0.632%.
What is the average home price in Bluff City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bluff City, Tennessee is $147,400, against $190,800 across Sullivan County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bluff City?
Median gross rent in Bluff City is $889 a month, against $1,215 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bluff City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Tennessee.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.