How much house can I afford on $70,000 in Tennessee?
About $261,000 with 20% down ($206,000 with an FHA loan), using Tennessee's 0.46% property tax rate.
That is $70,019 less than the typical Tennessee home ($330,844), so on $70,000 you'd look at cheaper areas or a smaller home. The payment of $1,633 covers $1,404 principal and interest, $99 property tax and $130 insurance.
Counties in Tennessee you can afford on $70,000
55 of 95 counties have a typical home value at or below $261,000. The 25 priciest of them:
| County | Typical home | 1-yr change | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | $260,164 | +3.3% | 0.39% |
| Rhea County | $258,525 | +3.5% | 0.43% |
| Sullivan County | $257,715 | -0.5% | 0.58% |
| Lincoln County | $257,515 | +3.4% | 0.45% |
| McMinn County | $256,264 | +3.7% | 0.35% |
| Marion County | $254,750 | +1.2% | 0.43% |
| Warren County | $254,138 | +2.1% | 0.42% |
| Polk County | $252,394 | +6.7% | 0.5% |
| Overton County | $251,818 | +3.9% | 0.39% |
| Giles County | $250,862 | +2.3% | 0.42% |
| Humphreys County | $249,121 | +5.7% | 0.48% |
| Pickett County | $249,112 | +4.6% | 0.41% |
| Stewart County | $247,613 | +1.6% | 0.46% |
| Greene County | $247,189 | +2.2% | 0.43% |
| Hawkins County | $247,127 | +5.8% | 0.54% |
| Bledsoe County | $246,774 | +7.2% | 0.36% |
| Lewis County | $243,690 | +2.9% | 0.48% |
| Fentress County | $243,554 | +2.8% | 0.32% |
| Lawrence County | $243,136 | +4.0% | 0.53% |
| Campbell County | $242,885 | +4.0% | 0.37% |
| Johnson County | $242,344 | +2.7% | 0.4% |
| Unicoi County | $242,109 | +2.7% | 0.52% |
| Cocke County | $241,556 | +4.1% | 0.57% |
| Carter County | $238,959 | -0.3% | 0.51% |
| Houston County | $229,483 | +8.2% | 0.54% |
Affordable metro areas
Assumes a 30-year fixed loan at 7.11%, property tax of 0.46% of the home value a year, homeowners insurance of 0.6% a year, PMI of 0.5% of the loan a year when the down payment is under 20%, and FHA mortgage insurance of 0.55% a year plus a 1.75% upfront premium added to the loan. Your rate, taxes and insurance will differ.
Other salaries in Tennessee
Frequently asked questions
How much house can I afford on $70,000 in Tennessee?
About $261,000 with 20% down at 7.11%, keeping the payment (with Tennessee's 0.46% property tax and insurance) under $1,633 a month.
Is $70,000 enough to buy a house in Tennessee?
Not the typical home: the typical Tennessee home is worth $330,844 (Zillow, September 2026) and $70,000 supports about $261,000. 55 of 95 counties are within budget.