Tennessee rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in Tennessee (June 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 530 rentals across 47 Tennessee cities
Tennessee is one of the better-value rental states in the Sun Belt, anchored by two very different markets: Nashville, which is booming and mid-to-high priced, and Memphis, one of the most affordable big cities in the country. The cheapest rents are in Memphis, Clarksville and the mid-size markets; the priciest are the affluent Nashville suburbs. We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in Memphis (about $1,018/mo), while Franklin sits at the top ($1,694/mo). For most renters the Memphis-vs-Nashville gap is the big decision; the bedroom count you need matters from there.
Tennessee cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | $1,018 | $800 | 68 |
| 2 | Clarksville | $1,065 | $815 | 24 |
| 3 | Antioch | $1,110 | $999 | 6 |
| 4 | Hermitage | $1,110 | $1,050 | 5 |
| 5 | Jackson | $1,148 | $915 | 14 |
| 6 | Goodlettsville | $1,196 | $999 | 7 |
| 7 | Johnson City | $1,199 | $1,069 | 11 |
| 8 | Chattanooga | $1,219 | $850 | 33 |
| 9 | Hendersonville | $1,242 | $996 | 12 |
| 10 | Columbia | $1,338 | $1,249 | 7 |
| 11 | Murfreesboro | $1,342 | $999 | 32 |
| 12 | Spring Hill | $1,366 | $1,175 | 10 |
| 13 | Collierville | $1,390 | $1,198 | 6 |
| 14 | Oak Ridge | $1,398 | $1,000 | 7 |
| 15 | Smyrna | $1,408 | $1,127 | 16 |
| 16 | Gallatin | $1,409 | $1,294 | 9 |
| 17 | Lebanon | $1,417 | $1,199 | 10 |
| 18 | Nashville | $1,425 | $850 | 132 |
| 19 | Knoxville | $1,430 | $800 | 44 |
| 20 | Franklin | $1,694 | $1,326 | 18 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a handful of listings, so the bigger markets like Nashville and Memphis are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in Tennessee?
By typical (median) rent it's Memphis, around $1,018/mo, then Clarksville and Antioch. Memphis is the standout: it's the cheapest of the big metros by a wide margin. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Is Memphis or Nashville cheaper to rent in?
Memphis, by a lot: about $1,018/mo typical versus $1,425 in Nashville, roughly $407/mo less. Nashville's growth and in-migration keep its rents up, while Memphis stays one of the most affordable large markets in the country. If budget is the priority, Memphis wins clearly.
Where is rent most expensive in Tennessee?
Franklin tops the list at about $1,694/mo, which tracks: the priciest rents are the affluent Nashville suburbs (Franklin, Brentwood) and the close-in Nashville/Knoxville markets, not the mid-size cities. The college and value markets out east and west run far cheaper.
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