Rhea County, Tennessee Housing Market

In Rhea County, Tennessee, the median home value is $206,000, with a median monthly rent of $839. This places Rhea County at #1341 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #47 within Tennessee.

Median Home Value $206,000
Median Rent $839/mo
Owner Occupancy 71.5%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Rhea County rose +6.6% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

9,336
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $902
  • Establishments: 570
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

151
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 143
  • Multi-family: 8
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+1016
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 12,585 (avg $63,461)
  • Outflow: 11,569 (avg $62,132)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Rhea County Compares

MetricRhea CountyTennessee AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $206,000 $223,385 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $839 $892 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 71.5% 74.1% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 20.5 20.5 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Rhea County is 7.8% below the Tennessee state average and 9.5% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $839/month is 5.9% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 20.5, renting is generally more cost-effective than buying in the short to medium term. The market favors buyers only for long-term holds.

Rhea County has an owner-occupancy rate of 71.5%, compared to 74.1% in Tennessee and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Gray County Kansas $206,000 $808
Washakie County Wyoming $206,000 $720
Pondera County Montana $206,100 $784
Deuel County South Dakota $205,900 $642
Clark County Kentucky $205,800 $938

Other Counties in Tennessee

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
White County $207,200 $849 76.9%
Stewart County $204,700 $945 81.1%
Greene County $207,500 $737 77.1%
Union County $204,000 $847 80.2%
Hamblen County $210,900 $857 69.8%

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).