Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Greeneville costs less to live in than 50% of U.S. towns
It ranks #98 of 177 in Tennessee for affordability. Up 1.5% in a year, 26% below the Tennessee typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Greeneville, TN micro area ($56K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Greeneville-area micro earn ($56K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 4.0 years of area income, and 58% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $245Ktypical home, 26% below the Tennessee typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $950a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$56K, Greeneville-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 58%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Tennessee: 49%Census 2020–24
- 21%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Greeneville
What’s behind Greeneville’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Greeneville is more affordable than 50% of U.S. towns, #98 of 177 in Tennessee. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Tennessee: the typical Greeneville home is up 32.2% in five years, against 23.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 32.2% in five years
Faster than Tennessee (23.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Greeneville | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $121,000 | $172,000 |
| 2018 | $125,000 | $185,000 |
| 2019 | $130,000 | $197,000 |
| 2020 | $143,000 | $213,000 |
| 2021 | $160,000 | $236,000 |
| 2022 | $195,000 | $285,000 |
| 2023 | $204,000 | $311,000 |
| 2024 | $224,000 | $323,000 |
| 2025 | $241,000 | $331,000 |
| 2026 | $243,000 | $331,000 |
| September 2026 | $245,000 | $331,000 |
A typical Greeneville home worth $118K in October 2016 is worth about $245K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A balanced market
About 4.4 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, May 2026.
A typical home costs 4.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Greeneville’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $18K short of a typical Greeneville home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $950 a month here, $460 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Greeneville’s typical property tax (0.63% 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 $950
Renters already here pay a median of $650, 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.
78 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 78 new homes in Greeneville in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $20.2 million to build. That's 5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Tennessee (7.8). Over the past 10 years, Greeneville has permitted 553 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Greeneville gained 417 residents while 242 new homes were permitted: about 1.7 new residents per new home, about the same as across Tennessee (2.0).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 68 | 68 | 0 | $24.3 million |
| 2025 | 78 | 78 | 0 | $20.2 million |
| 2024 | 144 | 72 | 72 | $26.8 million |
| 2023 | 88 | 88 | 0 | $16.6 million |
| 2022 | 50 | 50 | 0 | $10.2 million |
| 2021 | 58 | 58 | 0 | $7.5 million |
| 2020 | 53 | 51 | 2 | $7.7 million |
| 2019 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2018 | 27 | 20 | 7 | $7.6 million |
| 2017 | 23 | 16 | 7 | $4.4 million |
| 2016 | 15 | 11 | 4 | $4.6 million |
| 2015 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2014 | 19 | 12 | 7 | $5.1 million |
| 2013 | 50 | 0 | 50 | $8 million |
| 2012 | 52 | 12 | 40 | $9.7 million |
| 2011 | 13 | 11 | 2 | $2.2 million |
| 2010 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2009 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2008 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2007 | 44 | 44 | 0 | $8.1 million |
| 2006 | 42 | 40 | 2 | $6.2 million |
| 2005 | 128 | 35 | 93 | $8.8 million |
| 2004 | 57 | 47 | 10 | $6.6 million |
| 2003 | 58 | 40 | 18 | $4.7 million |
| 2002 | 34 | 27 | 7 | $2.9 million |
| 2001 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2000 | 43 | 37 | 6 | $4.6 million |
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 $1,429, under the Tennessee median of $1,442, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.63% 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+”.
Greeneville vs. its neighbors
Of the 3 towns here with a Zillow value, Greeneville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greeneville | B− | $245K | $227K | 0.63% | $950 |
| Tusculum | B− | $319K | $268K | 0.40% | $970 |
| Mosheim | A− | $218K | $161K | 0.33% | $960 |
Questions about the cost of living in Greeneville
Is Greeneville expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Greeneville costs less than 50% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #98 of 177 in Tennessee. The typical home costs 4.0 years of the median household income of the Greeneville, TN micro area ($56K).
How much does a house cost in Greeneville?
About $245K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.5% in a year. The Tennessee typical home is $331K.
What salary do you need to live in Greeneville?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $60,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,410 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $38,000.
How much is rent in Greeneville?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $950 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $650 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Greeneville?
The median bill is $1,429 a year, 0.63% of the median home value (Tennessee: $1,442, 0.50%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Greeneville going up?
Yes: up 1.5% in the past year and 32.2% in five years, against 23.3% across Tennessee (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Greeneville 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.