Cheapest places to live in Tennessee

Chattanooga has the lowest median listed home of the 3 Tennessee cities we cover, at $395,000 (September 2026).

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated October 2026.

ChattanoogaCheapest city$395,000 median listed home
$2,171/moMonthly paymentAgainst $4,078 for the median New York metro home
8% cheaperTennessee pricesThan the US average, statewide

All 3, cheapest first

Ranked by median listed home. Tap a city for weather, flights and monthly costs.

1
Chattanooga$395,000 median home
Mortgage
$2,171/mo
2-bed rent
$1,313
Prices
9% cheaper
See Chattanooga
2
Knoxville$447,000 median home
Mortgage
$2,456/mo
2-bed rent
$1,452
Prices
7% cheaper
See Knoxville
3
Nashville$533,995 median home
Mortgage
$2,935/mo
2-bed rent
$1,666
Prices
4% cheaper
See Nashville

Monthly payment vs New York

Principal and interest on the median listed home.

Chattanooga$2,171/mo

Nashville, priciest we cover$2,935/mo

New York metro$4,078/mo

Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.

Ranked by home price

All 3 cities in one table.

See all 3 Tennessee cities, cheapest first

Rank	City	Median listed home	Monthly payment	2-bed rent	Price level	Incentive
1	Chattanooga	$395,000	$2,171	$1,313	91.5	None
2	Knoxville	$447,000	$2,456	$1,452	92.6	None
3	Nashville	$533,995	$2,935	$1,666	96.3	None

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest city to live in Tennessee?

Of the cities we cover, Chattanooga. Its median listed home is $395,000 (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026).

Is Tennessee cheap to live in?

Tennessee's overall price level is 91.9, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). That is below average.

Find the cities that fit your family

Answer a few quick questions and get your shortlist, ranked on what you care about. Free, no account.

Find my cities

Notes on the numbers

1Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED. Price level: BEA regional price parities, 2024 (US = 100). 2-bed rent: Census ACS, 2025. Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.
2Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Prices vs US average: BEA regional price parities, 2024. 2-bed rent: Census ACS, 2025.

Sources for this page