County FMR · HUD FY2026
Rhea County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Rhea County, TN - 26% below the US average.
- $705
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $925
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +2.9%
- YoY change
- -26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Rhea is the 30th cheapest of 95 counties in Tennessee by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #599 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #599
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #30
- cheapest of 95 in Tennessee (2BR)
- -24%
- vs the state average
- $28,200
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (30.4%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Rhea County, TN. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Rhea County, Tennessee at $705 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $925/mo and a studio is $700/mo. This is 26% lower than the national average of $959 and 24% below the Tennessee average of $924.
Rent increased2.9% from FY 2025 ($685), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,200/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Tennessee. Population: 33,031. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.1%, Census ACS). That's slower than Tennessee's statewide growth of +5.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area RHEA·COUNTY·TN·TN
Rhea County, TN: $705/mo 1BR · #599 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TN
- 1BR-FMR $705
- 2BR-FMR $925
- RANK-MID #599
- YOY-UP +2.9%
- VSUS-LOW -26%
- VS-ST-LOW -24% TN
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 33K
- PHOTO-NEAR Shelby County
- VOUCH-90-110 $635–$776
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Shelby ($449 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $681 | $700 | +$19 (+2.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $685 | $705 | +$20 (+2.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $899 | $925 | +$26 (+2.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,187 | $1,220 | +$33 (+2.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,192 | $1,225 | +$33 (+2.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Rhea 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 Rhea sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$925 higher than 19% 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 Rhea 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
- Rhea
Rhea County
$705 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Rhea 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), Rhea County (this county) ($705).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $705/mo, most of these Tennessee occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | TN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $117,340 | 7.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $102,850 | 8.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,030 | 10.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $75,500 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $59,410 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,190 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,610 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $55,270 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $52,690 | 16.1% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,130 | 21.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,130 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,220 | 27.1% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,770 | 27.5% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,030 | 30.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,840 | 30.4% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Rhea County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Rhea (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 37.4% overall, from $513 to $705. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.5% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑2.9% | $700 | $705 | $925 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.6% | $681 | $685 | $899 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.5% | $651 | $655 | $861 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.2% | $564 | $567 | $747 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.0% | $521 | $524 | $690 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.2% | $516 | $519 | $684 |
| FY 2020 | $510 | $513 | $676 |
Where Rhea County Ranks in Tennessee
Rhea County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #30 of 95 counties in Tennessee. Nearest by rank: Lincoln County ($925), McNairy County ($925), Meigs County ($925), Monroe County ($925), Moore County ($925), Obion County ($925), Overton County ($925), Perry County ($925), Rhea County (this county) ($925), Scott County ($925), Van Buren County ($925), Wayne County ($925), Weakley County ($925), McMinn County ($926), Gibson County ($927), Lawrence County ($939), Grainger County ($941).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Rhea 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 Rhea County? ▼
How does Rhea County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Rhea County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Rhea County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Rhea County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Rhea County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Rhea County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Rhea County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Rhea County? ▼
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.
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.