County FMR · HUD FY2026
Putnam County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, TN - 15% below the US average.
- $818
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,014
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.0%
- YoY change
- -15%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Putnam is the 41st most expensive of 95 counties in Tennessee by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,479 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,479
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #41
- most expensive of 95 in Tennessee (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $32,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (35.3%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, TN. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Putnam County, Tennessee is $818 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,014/mo and a studio is $752/mo. This is 15% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Tennessee average of $924.
Rent increased1.0% from FY 2025 ($810), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $32,720/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 45.3% of the 12,999 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Tennessee. Population: 80,157. Population grew 6.4% 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 PUTNAM·COUNTY·TN·TN
Putnam County, TN: $818/mo 1BR · #1479 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TN
- 1BR-FMR $818
- 2BR-FMR $1,014
- RANK-MID #1,479
- YOY-FLAT +1.0%
- VSUS-BELOW -15%
- VS-ST-LOW -11% TN
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-MID 80K
- PHOTO-NEAR Shelby County
- VOUCH-90-110 $736–$900
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Shelby ($336 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $777 | $752 | $-25 (-3.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $810 | $818 | +$8 (+1.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,027 | $1,014 | $-13 (-1.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,403 | $1,409 | +$6 (+0.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,615 | $1,557 | $-58 (-3.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Putnam County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Putnam sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,014 higher than 47% of 3,145 counties
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 Putnam compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Tennessee counties
- Davidson
Davidson County
$1,578 1BR FMR / mo
- Rutherford
Rutherford County
$1,578 1BR FMR / mo
- Williamson
Williamson County
$1,578 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,263 1BR FMR / mo
- Knox
Knox County
$1,184 1BR FMR / mo
- Shelby
Shelby County
$1,154 1BR FMR / mo
- Putnam
Putnam County
$818 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Putnam 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), Putnam County (this county) ($818).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $818/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 | 8.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $102,850 | 9.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,030 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $75,500 | 13% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $59,410 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,190 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,610 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,270 | 17.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $52,690 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,130 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,130 | 25.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,220 | 31.4% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,770 | 31.9% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,030 | 35% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,840 | 35.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Putnam County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Putnam (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 47.1% overall, from $556 to $818. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +19.2% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.0% | $752 | $818 | $1,014 |
| FY 2025 ↑6.0% | $777 | $810 | $1,027 |
| FY 2024 ↑19.2% | $760 | $764 | $991 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.3% | $637 | $641 | $844 |
| FY 2022 ↑4.3% | $572 | $576 | $758 |
| FY 2021 ↓0.7% | $548 | $552 | $717 |
| FY 2020 | $552 | $556 | $710 |
Part of the Cookeville, TN Micro Area
Putnam County is a central county of the Cookeville, TN micropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other micro-area counties.
Putnam County ranks #1 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Putnam County (this county) ($818), White County ($756), Overton County ($742), Jackson County ($705).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Putnam 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside TN).
Nearby Counties in Tennessee
Largest counties by population in Tennessee
Showing the 8 largest of 94 other counties in Tennessee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Putnam County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Putnam County is $818 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,014 and a studio is $752.
How does Putnam County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Putnam County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $818 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Putnam County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Putnam County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,014 ranks #1,479 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Putnam County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,720 ($2,727/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Putnam County.
Is rent going up or down in Putnam County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County increased by 1.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $810 to $818.
Which jobs can afford rent in Putnam 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 $818/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Putnam County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County went from $556 in FY 2020 to $818 in FY 2026, a total change of +47.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Putnam County?
In Putnam County, the FY 2026 FMR of $818/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 Putnam County?
For Putnam County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($818/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Putnam County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Putnam County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Putnam's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $818 implies about $32,720/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Tennessee counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Shelby
- See where Putnam ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.