County FMR · HUD FY2026

Polk County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Polk County, TN - 2% below the US average.

$940
1-bedroom FMR
$1,233
2-bedroom FMR
+2.0%
YoY change
-2%
vs US avg

The verdict

Polk is the 26th most expensive of 95 counties in Tennessee by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #912 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#912
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#26
most expensive of 95 in Tennessee (2BR)
+2%
vs the state average
$37,600
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (40.5%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Polk County, TN. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Polk County, Tennessee is $940 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,233/mo and a studio is $850/mo. This is 2% lower than the national average of $959 and 2% above the Tennessee average of $924.

Rent increased2.0% from FY 2025 ($922), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $37,600/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Tennessee. Population: 17,620. Population grew 5.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's in line with Tennessee's statewide growth of +5.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area POLK·COUNTY·TN·TN

Polk County, TN: $940/mo 1BR · #912 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA TN
  • 1BR-FMR $940
  • 2BR-FMR $1,233
  • RANK-MID #912
  • YOY-FLAT +2.0%
  • VSUS-NEAR -2%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +2% TN
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-SMALL 18K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Shelby County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $846–$1,034
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Shelby ($214 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $882 · US avg: $893
$850/mo
↑ 2.4% YoY -4% vs state -5% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $924 · US avg: $959
$940/mo
↑ 2.0% YoY +2% vs state -2% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,118 · US avg: $1,175
$1,233/mo
↑ 1.9% YoY +10% vs state +5% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,445 · US avg: $1,525
$1,584/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY +10% vs state +4% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,644 · US avg: $1,756
$1,633/mo
↑ 1.8% YoY -1% vs state -7% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $830
$850
+$20 (+2.4%)
1 Bedroom $922
$940
+$18 (+2.0%)
2 Bedroom $1,210
$1,233
+$23 (+1.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,579
$1,584
+$5 (+0.3%)
4 Bedroom $1,604
$1,633
+$29 (+1.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Polk County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
16.9%
Affordable
Need $34,000/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
18.7%
Affordable
Need $37,600/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.6%
Affordable
Need $49,320/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
31.6%
Burdened
Need $63,360/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
32.5%
Burdened
Need $65,320/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%24.6%
Polk County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $60,227 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Tennessee rent burden →

Where Polk sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,233 Top 29% higher than 71% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Polk compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Tennessee counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Polk is highlighted. Nearby Tennessee counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Davidson County ($1,578), Rutherford County ($1,578), Williamson County ($1,578), Hamilton County ($1,263), Knox County ($1,184), Shelby County ($1,154), Polk County (this county) ($940).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $940/mo compares to Tennessee salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation TN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $117,340 9.6% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $102,850 11% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,030 14.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $75,500 14.9% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $59,410 19% Affordable
Electricians $59,190 19.1% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $55,610 20.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $55,270 20.4% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $52,690 21.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $40,130 28.1% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $38,130 29.6% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $31,220 36.1% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,770 36.7% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $28,030 40.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,840 40.5% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Tennessee) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Polk County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Polk (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 53.3% overall, from $613 to $940. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +19.9% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $940
Polk County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑2.0% $850 $940 $1,233
FY 2025 ↑8.7% $830 $922 $1,210
FY 2024 ↑19.9% $789 $848 $1,114
FY 2023 ↑12.0% $661 $707 $931
FY 2022 ↑2.3% $570 $631 $830
FY 2021 ↑0.7% $536 $617 $813
FY 2020 $526 $613 $807
Total change (6yr): +53.3%
Annualized: +7.4%/yr
1 BR: $613 → $940

Part of the Cleveland, TN Metro Area

Polk County is a outlying county of the Cleveland, TN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

Polk County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Bradley County ($940), Polk County (this county) ($940).

Bradley County
1 BR: $940/mo
Polk County (this county)
1 BR: $940/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Polk County, both outside Tennessee so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside TN (FY2026).

Bell County
TX · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Berkeley County
WV · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Coryell County
TX · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Forsyth County
NC · 2 BR $1,232/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside TN).

King County
WA · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $2,501/mo
Albany County
NY · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $1,702/mo
Gloucester County
VA · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $1,713/mo
Wayne County
MO · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $888/mo

Nearby Counties in Tennessee

Largest counties by population in Tennessee

Showing the 8 largest of 94 other counties in Tennessee.

Shelby County
1 BR: $1,154/mo Pop: 926,440
Davidson County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 709,786
Knox County
1 BR: $1,184/mo Pop: 481,406
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,263/mo Pop: 367,193
Rutherford County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 343,727
Williamson County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 248,897
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,094/mo Pop: 222,305
Sumner County
1 BR: $1,578/mo Pop: 196,845
View all counties in Tennessee →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Polk County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Polk County is $940 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,233 and a studio is $850.
How does Polk County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Polk County is 2% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $940 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Polk County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Polk County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,233 ranks #912 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Polk County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $37,600 ($3,133/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Polk County.
Is rent going up or down in Polk County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Polk County increased by 2.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $922 to $940.
Which jobs can afford rent in Polk County? ▼
Based on Tennessee BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $940/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Polk County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Polk County went from $613 in FY 2020 to $940 in FY 2026, a total change of +53.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Polk County? ▼
In Polk County, the FY 2026 FMR of $940/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Polk County? ▼
For Polk County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($940/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.