Home prices in Knoxville run 26% below the national median: $310,000 versus $420,000. Relative to the $58,000 median household income here, the price-to-income ratio comes out to 5.3x.
Knoxville's 0.74% property tax rate runs below the 1.1% national average. That's $191/month on the median home here, not a rounding error against the mortgage payment.
Tennessee is one of nine states with no state income tax. Against a $1,928/month mortgage payment here, that's real, recurring savings compared to an income-tax state at the same salary.
Beyond housing, Knoxville's cost of living index sits at 89 (national average = 100), running below the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Knoxville's median home price runs 31% lower than nearby Nashville: $450,000 there versus $310,000 here.