Polk County, Tennessee Housing Market

In Polk County, Tennessee, the median home value is $169,900, with a median monthly rent of $676. This places Polk County at #1809 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #65 within Tennessee.

Median Home Value $169,900
Median Rent $676/mo
Owner Occupancy 83.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.9

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,947
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $791
  • Establishments: 285
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

150
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 150
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+665
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 6,692 (avg $60,826)
  • Outflow: 6,027 (avg $58,605)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Polk County Compares

MetricPolk CountyTennessee AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $169,900 $223,385 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $676 $892 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 83.6% 74.1% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.9 20.5 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Polk County is 23.9% below the Tennessee state average and 25.4% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $676/month is 24.2% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 20.9, renting is generally more cost-effective than buying in the short to medium term. The market favors buyers only for long-term holds.

Polk County has an owner-occupancy rate of 83.6%, compared to 74.1% in Tennessee and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Garfield County Montana $169,900 $725
Clark County Ohio $169,900 $872
Keweenaw County Michigan $169,800 $688
Wayne County New York $170,000 $938
Slope County North Dakota $170,000 $525

Other Counties in Tennessee

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Carter County $168,200 $739 75.2%
Fentress County $168,200 $709 82.6%
Houston County $172,700 $735 81.0%
Overton County $173,200 $832 76.9%
Lewis County $173,400 $708 81.9%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).