Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Counties in Tennessee

Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)

Hancock County had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 95 counties in 2021, at 54.5%. Smith County had the lowest, at 29.5%. The median was 43.4% and the figure for Tennessee was 47.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest54.5Hancock County
Lowest29.5Smith County
Median43.495 counties
Tennessee47.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Anderson County: 41.6 %Bedford County: 43.4 %Benton County: 42.9 %Bledsoe County: 34.6 %Blount County: 43.9 %Bradley County: 44.9 %Campbell County: 34.2 %Cannon County: 35 %Carroll County: 39.4 %Carter County: 41.5 %Cheatham County: 30.8 %Chester County: 33.2 %Claiborne County: 42.3 %Clay County: 31.7 %Cocke County: 45.1 %Coffee County: 41.6 %Crockett County: 50.2 %Cumberland County: 40.9 %Davidson County: 50.2 %Decatur County: 47.5 %DeKalb County: 40.7 %Dickson County: 39.6 %Dyer County: 43.2 %Fayette County: 50.2 %Fentress County: 41.5 %Franklin County: 43.7 %Gibson County: 48.1 %Giles County: 37.4 %Grainger County: 48.8 %Greene County: 38.2 %Grundy County: 40.8 %Hamblen County: 48 %Hamilton County: 47 %Hancock County: 54.5 %Hardeman County: 49.4 %Hardin County: 42.5 %Hawkins County: 42.2 %Haywood County: 49.9 %Henderson County: 52.8 %Henry County: 43.6 %Hickman County: 45 %Houston County: 39.8 %Humphreys County: 40.8 %Jackson County: 45.2 %Jefferson County: 43.8 %Johnson County: 54 %Knox County: 46.9 %Lake County: 38.7 %Lauderdale County: 44.6 %Lawrence County: 44.5 %Lewis County: 50.2 %Lincoln County: 49.2 %Loudon County: 37.7 %McMinn County: 41.4 %McNairy County: 39.4 %Macon County: 42.3 %Madison County: 54 %Marion County: 41.1 %Marshall County: 40.2 %Maury County: 46.9 %Meigs County: 54.1 %Monroe County: 40.7 %Montgomery County: 44.3 %Moore County: 43.2 %Morgan County: 48.3 %Obion County: 42.2 %Overton County: 46.6 %Perry County: 42 %Pickett County: 37.5 %Polk County: 42.3 %Putnam County: 46.9 %Rhea County: 35.8 %Roane County: 40.2 %Robertson County: 41.5 %Rutherford County: 46.1 %Scott County: 36.2 %Sequatchie County: 46 %Sevier County: 43.5 %Shelby County: 53.4 %Smith County: 29.5 %Stewart County: 35.6 %Sullivan County: 44.4 %Sumner County: 46.3 %Tipton County: 45.7 %Trousdale County: 36.6 %Unicoi County: 49 %Union County: 37.8 %Van Buren County: 30.2 %Warren County: 44.4 %Washington County: 47.2 %Wayne County: 46.7 %Weakley County: 42.8 %White County: 50.8 %Williamson County: 43.6 %Wilson County: 47.1 %
  • Under 38
  • 38 to 41
  • 41 to 43
  • 43 to 46
  • 46 to 48
  • 48 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Hancock County: 54.5 %Hancock County54.5Meigs County: 54.1 %Meigs County54.1Johnson County: 54 %Johnson County54Madison County: 54 %Madison County54Shelby County: 53.4 %Shelby County53.4Henderson County: 52.8 %Henderson County52.8White County: 50.8 %White County50.8Davidson County: 50.2 %Davidson County50.2Lewis County: 50.2 %Lewis County50.2Crockett County: 50.2 %Crockett County50.2Fayette County: 50.2 %Fayette County50.2Haywood County: 49.9 %Haywood County49.9Hardeman County: 49.4 %Hardeman County49.4Lincoln County: 49.2 %Lincoln County49.2Unicoi County: 49 %Unicoi County49Grainger County: 48.8 %Grainger County48.8Morgan County: 48.3 %Morgan County48.3Gibson County: 48.1 %Gibson County48.1Hamblen County: 48 %Hamblen County48Decatur County: 47.5 %Decatur County47.5Washington County: 47.2 %Washington County47.2Wilson County: 47.1 %Wilson County47.1Hamilton County: 47 %Hamilton County47Maury County: 46.9 %Maury County46.9Putnam County: 46.9 %Putnam County46.9Knox County: 46.9 %Knox County46.9Wayne County: 46.7 %Wayne County46.7Overton County: 46.6 %Overton County46.6Sumner County: 46.3 %Sumner County46.3Rutherford County: 46.1 %Rutherford County46.1Sequatchie County: 46 %Sequatchie County46Tipton County: 45.7 %Tipton County45.7Jackson County: 45.2 %Jackson County45.2Cocke County: 45.1 %Cocke County45.1Hickman County: 45 %Hickman County45Bradley County: 44.9 %Bradley County44.9Lauderdale County: 44.6 %Lauderdale County44.6Lawrence County: 44.5 %Lawrence County44.5Warren County: 44.4 %Warren County44.4Sullivan County: 44.4 %Sullivan County44.4Hancock County: 54.5 %Hancock County54.5Meigs County: 54.1 %Meigs County54.1Johnson County: 54 %Johnson County54Madison County: 54 %Madison County54Shelby County: 53.4 %Shelby County53.4Henderson County: 52.8 %Henderson County52.8White County: 50.8 %White County50.8Davidson County: 50.2 %Davidson County50.2Lewis County: 50.2 %Lewis County50.2Crockett County: 50.2 %Crockett County50.2Fayette County: 50.2 %Fayette County50.2Haywood County: 49.9 %Haywood County49.9Hardeman County: 49.4 %Hardeman County49.4Lincoln County: 49.2 %Lincoln County49.2Unicoi County: 49 %Unicoi County49Grainger County: 48.8 %Grainger County48.8Morgan County: 48.3 %Morgan County48.3Gibson County: 48.1 %Gibson County48.1Hamblen County: 48 %Hamblen County48Decatur County: 47.5 %Decatur County47.5Washington County: 47.2 %Washington County47.2Wilson County: 47.1 %Wilson County47.1Hamilton County: 47 %Hamilton County47Maury County: 46.9 %Maury County46.9Putnam County: 46.9 %Putnam County46.9Knox County: 46.9 %Knox County46.9Wayne County: 46.7 %Wayne County46.7Overton County: 46.6 %Overton County46.6Sumner County: 46.3 %Sumner County46.3Rutherford County: 46.1 %Rutherford County46.1Sequatchie County: 46 %Sequatchie County46Tipton County: 45.7 %Tipton County45.7Jackson County: 45.2 %Jackson County45.2Cocke County: 45.1 %Cocke County45.1Hickman County: 45 %Hickman County45Bradley County: 44.9 %Bradley County44.9Lauderdale County: 44.6 %Lauderdale County44.6Lawrence County: 44.5 %Lawrence County44.5Warren County: 44.4 %Warren County44.4Sullivan County: 44.4 %Sullivan County44.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Hancock County54.5
2Meigs County54.1
3Johnson County54
4Madison County54
5Shelby County53.4
6Henderson County52.8
7White County50.8
8Davidson County50.2
9Lewis County50.2
10Crockett County50.2
11Fayette County50.2
12Haywood County49.9
13Hardeman County49.4
14Lincoln County49.2
15Unicoi County49
16Grainger County48.8
17Morgan County48.3
18Gibson County48.1
19Hamblen County48
20Decatur County47.5
21Washington County47.2
22Wilson County47.1
23Hamilton County47
24Maury County46.9
25Putnam County46.9
26Knox County46.9
27Wayne County46.7
28Overton County46.6
29Sumner County46.3
30Rutherford County46.1
31Sequatchie County46
32Tipton County45.7
33Jackson County45.2
34Cocke County45.1
35Hickman County45
36Bradley County44.9
37Lauderdale County44.6
38Lawrence County44.5
39Warren County44.4
40Sullivan County44.4
41Montgomery County44.3
42Blount County43.9
43Jefferson County43.8
44Franklin County43.7
45Henry County43.6
46Williamson County43.6
47Sevier County43.5
48Bedford County43.4
49Dyer County43.2
50Moore County43.2
51Benton County42.9
52Weakley County42.8
53Hardin County42.5
54Claiborne County42.3
54Macon County42.3
56Polk County42.3
57Hawkins County42.2
58Obion County42.2
59Perry County42
60Coffee County41.6
61Anderson County41.6
62Carter County41.5
63Robertson County41.5
64Fentress County41.5
65McMinn County41.4
66Marion County41.1
67Cumberland County40.9
68Grundy County40.8
69Humphreys County40.8
70Monroe County40.7
71DeKalb County40.7
72Roane County40.2
73Marshall County40.2
74Houston County39.8
75Dickson County39.6
76Carroll County39.4
77McNairy County39.4
78Lake County38.7
79Greene County38.2
80Union County37.8
81Loudon County37.7
82Pickett County37.5
83Giles County37.4
84Trousdale County36.6
85Scott County36.2
86Rhea County35.8
87Stewart County35.6
88Cannon County35
89Bledsoe County34.6
90Campbell County34.2
91Chester County33.2
92Clay County31.7
93Cheatham County30.8
94Van Buren County30.2
95Smith County29.5

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_tennessee_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/tennessee-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Tennessee by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Hancock County, with 54.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Smith County, with 29.5% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Counties in Tennessee: more rankings