Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Knoxville, Tennessee
A $214,000 home here costs
$1,687per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,100. The real number is $587 higher every month — 53% 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.
Knoxville against Knox County and Tennessee
| Measure | Knoxville | Knox County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $214,000 | $279,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,443 | $1,332 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.674% | 0.476% |
| Median gross rent | $1,116 | $1,180 |
| Population | 193,721 | 487,401 |
The weather behind that power bill
Knoxville sits in Knox County, which averages a high of 88.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.0°F in its coldest, with 51.93" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,574 cooling and 3,528 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Knox County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Knox County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Knoxville?
A $214,000 home in Knoxville, Tennessee costs approximately $1,687 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,100 principal and interest, $120 property tax, $90 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Knoxville?
Knoxville has an effective property tax rate of 0.674%, based on a median home value of $214,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,443. That is higher than the Knox County average of 0.476%.
What is the average home price in Knoxville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Knoxville, Tennessee is $214,000, against $279,700 across Knox County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Knoxville?
Median gross rent in Knoxville is $1,116 a month, against $1,687 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 Knoxville — 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.