Measured against area pay, Bluff City costs less to live in than 71% of U.S. towns
Up 2.5% in a year, 19% below the Tennessee typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area ($58K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Kingsport metro earn ($58K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of metro income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $267Ktypical home, 19% below the Tennessee typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,140a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 86prices across the Kingsport metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 56)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$58K, Kingsport-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 47%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Tennessee: 49%Census 2020–24
- 8%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Bluff City?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Bluff City’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bluff City is more affordable than 71% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Tennessee: the typical Bluff City home is up 34.3% in five years, against 23.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 34.3% in five years
Faster than Tennessee (23.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Bluff City | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $141,000 | $172,000 |
| 2018 | $147,000 | $185,000 |
| 2019 | $152,000 | $197,000 |
| 2020 | $170,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $178,000 | $236,000 |
| 2022 | $209,000 | $285,000 |
| 2023 | $224,000 | $311,000 |
| 2024 | $252,000 | $323,000 |
| 2025 | $259,000 | $331,000 |
| 2026 | $261,000 | $331,000 |
| September 2026 | $267,000 | $331,000 |
A typical Bluff City home worth $137K in October 2016 is worth about $267K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Bluff City’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $29K short of a typical Bluff City home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,140 a month here, $380 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Bluff City’s typical property tax (0.55% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,140
Renters already here pay a median of $931, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Bluff City in 2025. The last year with any was 2012 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Bluff City gained 89 residents while 10 new homes were permitted: about 8.9 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Tennessee: 2 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $105,000 |
| 2011 | 9 | 6 | 3 | $758,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2008 | 10 | 2 | 8 | $884,000 |
| 2007 | 28 | 28 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $279,000 |
| 2005 | 15 | 4 | 11 | $773,000 |
| 2004 | 19 | 14 | 5 | $1.5 million |
| 2003 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $774,000 |
| 2002 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $162,000 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $165,000 |
Bluff City's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $867, under the Tennessee median of $1,442, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.55% a year, against 0.50% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Bluff City
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, or Tennessee. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 86 | TN 92 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 96 | TN 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 76 | TN 72 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 96 | TN 95 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Bluff City vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, Bluff City has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluff City | B+ | $267K | $157K | 0.55% | $1,140 |
| Bristol | B− | $235K | $195K | 0.75% | $1,090 |
Questions about the cost of living in Bluff City
Is Bluff City expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bluff City costs less than 71% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area ($58K).
How much does a house cost in Bluff City?
About $267K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.5% in a year. The Tennessee typical home is $331K.
What salary do you need to live in Bluff City?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $65,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,520 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $46,000.
How much is rent in Bluff City?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,140 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $931 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Bluff City?
The median bill is $867 a year, 0.55% of the median home value (Tennessee: $1,442, 0.50%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Bluff City going up?
Yes: up 2.5% in the past year and 34.3% in five years, against 23.3% across Tennessee (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Bluff City buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.