HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Knox County, Tennessee (FY 2027)
$1,475 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Knox County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Knox is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,475
+0.3% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,328–$1,623
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$59,000
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Tennessee
13th of 95
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,171 | $1,054–$1,288 | $46,840 | $22.52/hr | -0.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,178 | $1,060–$1,296 | $47,120 | $22.65/hr | -0.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,475 | $1,328–$1,623 | $59,000 | $28.37/hr | +0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,844 | $1,660–$2,028 | $73,760 | $35.46/hr | -1.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,122 | $1,910–$2,334 | $84,880 | $40.81/hr | -2.3% |
Five to eight bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,440 | $2,196–$2,684 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,759 | $2,483–$3,035 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,077 | $2,769–$3,385 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,395 | $3,056–$3,735 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Knoxville are asking $1,514. HUD says $1,475.
That's 3% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 15 Knoxville ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Knox somewhere between $1,328 and $1,623. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,475 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $59,000 a year. Put another way, $28 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,328 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,475 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,623 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $578 | $725 | $873 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $128 | $275 | $423 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,471) to FY 2027 ($1,475). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 7.1% a year. The Tennessee median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $624 | $742 | $915 | $1,198 | $1,476 | — |
| FY 2021 | $624 | $729 | $896 | $1,182 | $1,421 | -2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $717 | $800 | $980 | $1,287 | $1,512 | +9.4% |
| FY 2023 | $887 | $952 | $1,156 | $1,507 | $1,773 | +18.0% |
| FY 2024 | $985 | $1,000 | $1,221 | $1,578 | $1,833 | +5.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,256 | $1,264 | $1,548 | $1,989 | $2,335 | +26.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,177 | $1,184 | $1,471 | $1,864 | $2,172 | -5.0% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,171 | $1,178 | $1,475 | $1,844 | $2,122 | +0.3% |
About this rate
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Knox, that runs from $1,171 for a studio up to $2,122 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Knox in with 4 other counties in the Knoxville metro, Blount County, Anderson County, Loudon County among them, and every one of them gets $1,475 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Knox ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $1,048 and about 39% above the national median county at $1,063. About 494,148 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 37806 (Mascot) and $2,210 in 37934 (Knoxville), with the 35 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37721 | Corryton | $1,250 | -15.3% |
| 37754 | Heiskell | $1,280 | -13.2% |
| 37806 | Mascot | $1,020 | -30.8% |
| 37849 | Powell | $1,370 | -7.1% |
| 37901 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37902 | Knoxville | $1,900 | +28.8% |
| 37909 | Knoxville | $1,460 | -1.0% |
| 37912 | Knoxville | $1,370 | -7.1% |
| 37914 | Knoxville | $1,340 | -9.2% |
| 37915 | Knoxville | $1,200 | -18.6% |
| 37916 | Knoxville | $1,510 | +2.4% |
| 37917 | Knoxville | $1,600 | +8.5% |
| 37918 | Knoxville | $1,460 | -1.0% |
| 37919 | Knoxville | $1,740 | +18.0% |
| 37920 | Knoxville | $1,390 | -5.8% |
| 37921 | Knoxville | $1,520 | +3.1% |
| 37922 | Knoxville | $2,090 | +41.7% |
| 37923 | Knoxville | $1,770 | +20.0% |
| 37924 | Knoxville | $1,340 | -9.2% |
| 37927 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37928 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37929 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37930 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37931 | Knoxville | $1,850 | +25.4% |
| 37932 | Knoxville | $1,920 | +30.2% |
| 37933 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37934 | Knoxville | $2,210 | +49.8% |
| 37938 | Knoxville | $1,490 | +1.0% |
| 37939 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37940 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37950 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37995 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37996 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37997 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
| 37998 | Knoxville | $1,540 | +4.4% |
Counties sharing the Knoxville metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,475 two-bedroom figure as Knox.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Knox.
Anderson County
16 mi · 79,153 people
$1,475
same rate
Blount County
17 mi · 139,333 people
$1,475
same rate
Union County
21 mi · 20,431 people
$1,475
same rate
Sevier County
23 mi · 99,652 people
$1,213
-18%
Loudon County
25 mi · 58,580 people
$1,475
same rate
Jefferson County
27 mi · 56,864 people
$1,153
-22%
Grainger County
32 mi · 24,266 people
$995
-33%
Campbell County
34 mi · 39,761 people
$995
-33%
Questions people ask
$1,475 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,171 for a studio, $1,178 for one bedroom, $1,844 for three and $2,122 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
Payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords
Rent affordability calculator
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Knox actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Knox for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.