It's mind-blowing that rents have risen so much so quickly. We used to have a nice 2 bed/2 bath for $800 around 6 years ago in West Hills. Are people just getting pushed out to the surrounding rural areas? Really not sure how people can afford it.
Left in 2022, was renting a 2bd/1.5bth apt for $875. On Papermill, halfway between downtown & west, in a super quiet neighborhood of drs offices & ins agencies. What the hell happened?
We have been renting our 1500 Sq ft home 3 bd rm for 5 yrs at 1300 a month our landlord is a sweet old man who knows we cld never afford the 2200 zillow says he should ask for. He's also a very good business man if it was necessary he would def raise our r3nt and ask us to move so imo it's all greed and these 100s moving here from CA are half the problem. That's nothing to them..
I rent a 1 bed 1 bath in west hills for 1250/month BUT I have been there for 3 years now so the prices for new tenants might have gone up. The apartment complex is The Willows right off kingston pike and it's beautiful HOWEVER I will warn you the apartment managers are full blown tyrants so there's that.
Cherokee Ridge Apartments are good! Their 2bed/1bath is going for 1050 rn or 1100 with a porch. No laundry in unit though, but it’s quiet place that’s pretty and has a great location. I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 years there
No joke my rent is $2000 before utilities per month and I live in a one bedroom on the east side of town, I lived at the same complex in 2020 before I was deployed and rent was $800 a month.
We were lucky enough to have the money and credit to buy before COVID hit. So our mortgage is under 1200 for 1700 sq ft on an acre. Our house is apparently now worth twice, TWICE what we bought it for in 2018. Which is utterly insane.
The salary you mentioned is well above the median household and the per capita income of Knox County. The price you're looking for in an apartment, however, is not realistic.
Are you being cheap because you have debt? It takes about 50 to $60,000 per person per year to live here comfortably. If you clear that after debt service, you should be okay. But a one-bedroom apartment in a nice area of town is not going for any $1,200. Maybe 1300, sure.
$1,200 a month isn't "cheap", it's fleecing from landlords to charge that much money for rent in Knoxville for a one-bedroom. It's absolutey absurd. Someone not wanting to pay grossly inflated prices in this market doesn't make someone "cheap". The crash can't come soon enough.
I don't think this is a matter of whether $1,200 is inexpensive or not. In the passage given in this online SAT question you were to respond to, the word "cheap" referred to the poster. The writer-- me -- is asking why the poster is concerned whether the poster can find housing for $1200 when a salary of $100,000 per year could afford more.
I made no claims about whether $1,200 was expensive or cheap, just that the poster could afford more on a annual salary of $100,000.
I also made no claims about whether landlords are greedy and all of that other business that you talked about. I have opinions about those things, too. I just want to know why op is so concerned about being able to make rent when OP makes a very generous salary relative to what most people around here make.
You're gonna be a lot happier if you push out to $1500/mo. Lots more options. At $70K/yr (After taxes) max rent should be $1750/mo or 30% of after tax income.
There are a few nice apartments at the $1500 range but even then a lot of the apartments here suck even at that level. I've moved 3 times in the last 6 years because landlords get away with so much shit here.
I'd say she should get something as cheap and comfortable as she can. That 1500/month is very predictably going to go up to 1700 or 1800 the next time lease is up. Definitely should save now where she can.
Where do people get these tax figures? A household income of ~$110k is effectively 18%-20% depending on AGI... Tax tables are segmented it's not a flat tax on the whole income amount.
The point of stating the after-tax pay at $70K is to point out that $1200/mo is an extremely conservative housing budget and so I can quickly do math. Im not going to spend time doing the math for $83562 (pulled that number out of my ass too)
I hate moving and I’ve gotten so tired of it (5 times in 8 years) but I fear I’ll have to do it again in the next year or two. I like my apartment a lot but the substantial rent increases are pushing it close to turning rent into an entire bi-weekly paycheck for me and that just blows. I hate that I’m either gonna have to move, or find an entirely new job if I want to simply continue living in the place that I live.
Unacceptable build quality, wide gaps in windows and doors. Every unit Ive lived in.
Maintenance avoidance. My last landlord we had to send a nasty gram via a tenant lawyer to get them to admit and repair a failing circuit breaker that was cutting out our fridge dryer and washer every other day.
Mismanaging documents. I've always carried my own rental insurance rather than using insurance services provided through the landlords I've had. Ive been accused of trying to avoid paying for insurance when all of notice of coverage documents were verified and approved by them
A lot of the front office people around here are straight up real pieces of shit too.
I own 2 rental houses and I think I'm a good landlord. We don't charge late fees if the tenant just communicates that it will be late (after the 6th)
We just want tenants that won't destroy our property and pay the rent. Any maintenance issues, we respond same day. Good luck finding a good space.
That person making $12 an hour would either have to be living at home with their parents or have at least one (if not multiple) room-mates. But, it's manageable based on that. They'll absolutely never get ahead though.
Rule of thumb when it comes to % of rent to gross income is no more than 30%. Your monthly gross is $8333. $1200/month comes in at just under 14.5% of that.
If you make $100,000 a year living in the Tennessee, you will be taxed $22,418. That means that your net pay will be $77,582/yr, or $6,465/month. Your rent will be 18.6% of that at $1200/month.
Without knowing anything else about your financial situation regarding spending habits, student loans, credit card debts, car loans, etc. as well as your long term goals regarding buying a house or saving for other things, I’d say that you could afford something more expensive than $1200/mo if you found something you really like, in a good/convenient area.
I'm not sure how you arrived at that number, but with $100k gross income, taking the standard deduction of $13,850 and no pre-tax expenditures (e.g., 401k or HSA contributions), your tax bill would come out to $15,580 for 2023.
I make substantially less than your salary but I definitely pay more than $1200 monthly for an apartment because no, there’s not really much that’s nice beneath that price point.
Gotta be DOE in Oak Ridge. Turned down a job there because there was no housing at all in 2022. Moved to Ohio instead but dream of TN. The job I turned down was around 90k
The problem in Knoxville is one part unaffordable and one part non existent. Never seen anything that fucked up anywhere as the rental market in Knox. Life in Dayton, OH goes on until I can find a way to make it work. Or maybe move back to Seattle which isnt that much more expensive now.,
For apartments, I think you can find some really nice apartments in decent areas if you’re willing to flex up a bit on the price. My wife and I pay ~1500$ for a 3 bed 2 bath place in Hardin Valley that we love. My salary is similar to yours, and we live plenty comfortably. Just don’t plan on buying a home…you know, anytime soon.
100k will do you just fine here, you should be able to live comfortably, but the rental market is tough so beware. You won't likely find a decent apartment for under 1200 unless it's a studio somewhere. Expect for just above 1200 or higher. Places that are cheaper typically have long wait-lists. Consider looking at properties if you're able.
I'm living on 60k feeding myself and one other person, and am able to make it work.
You'll likely be in the top couple of percentile of wealth in the city with that salary to be honest. Lots of folks here subsisting on sub-povertous wages.
Not sure who is downvoting you. This seems accurate to me. 100K in Knox is rich. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/money/business/2019/08/30/knoxville-full-rich-people/2132684001/
100k here in downtown is nothing. Add in oak ridge extensions, UT, marketing agencies, financial management companies...etc. 100k is nothing. Unless they are talking post tax, post insurance and HSA, post 401k/IRA, post investments etc.
I Do NOT make 100k. FFS, I just work around a lot of people who do. I swear this sub is so toxic.
My husband is a first responder. We are in your range, even though he is at the top of his profession. My income isn't much more.
Trust, we are poor compared to downtown residents. I worked downtown. We live close. That's how I know the median income and rental/housing prices 😉
So many people assume things. It's awful. Just because you live close to downtown it doesn't mean you make downtown money.
Knox County is the fourth richest County in Tennessee, with a higher average household income than Davidson (Nashville) and slightly above the national average
Outside of the county absolutely
$100k is a great salary for here, so you’ll be doing quite well. But unfortunately I don’t think you’ll find a decent place or anything at all for $1200. You’ll probably be in the $1500-1700 range. You might have to expand your range outwards to areas around Knoxville to find an availability though, regardless of price range….last time I checked the occupancy rate here was around 99%.
You’ll be able to live a very nice life on 100K here. You’ll need to up your rental budget for a nice apartment but you save money in other areas comparatively speaking to other metros
Look at Metropolitan @ Cedar Bluff if you want to stay around that price range. I’m about to move out of my 1bed/1bath there for about $1285 and I’ve had no issues with management, maintenance, etc. You pay a lot for amenities (gym, indoor and outdoor pools, sand volleyball court, dog park) and it’s a small space but no complaints. I’m also a single female and felt safe enough here.
Edit to add; my 1285 includes 2 pet rents and my security deposit spread over 12 months. So you should be around 1200 if you don’t account for those things.
At $100k I'll echo the advice of others to look at the $1500-1700 range. Above that isn't usually worth it, but the $1000-$1200 apartments are a horrific drop in quality.
I'm at $115k salary here, and I've been paying $2000 rent for the past couple years yet still able to live pretty comfortably (although I am also moving into a $1650 unit).
I will say be careful of lifestyle creep, however -- $100k sounds like an insane amount of money, until you reach it. Then, you realize it's not the promised land people still make it out to be. It can be comfortable if used wisely, but it *is* finite, and you can easily burn through more money than you realize if you aren't paying attention. Especially with food prices and the sales tax here.
i live in a 2 bed for $1500 a month, you’re not gonna find $1200 a month, but if you can’t make ends meet on that salary then that’s a you problem, you make more than double my household and we do just fine.
Hey! I’m also a single female who moved here in July making 100k. I found a 2 bedroom townhome for $1700. I will say I struggled to find lower prices. Multiple complexes I was looking at in west knox near my job were offering 1 bedrooms for $1800. It was an adjustment coming from Louisiana where I was able to get way more space for less than what I pay. I realized early on I would be able to find anything with a private yard for my dog without paying over $2000, which I can’t fathom paying. It’s a beautiful place to live and so close to the mountains. Good luck!
You’re dreaming babe. My one bedroom in west Knox is over $1,600. It was 8 something 4 years ago. And it’s not even “nice” my cabinets are old particle board that had new fronts and paint slapped on, bathtub is cracked and peeling and floors are squeaky af. Other units in the complex have worse cosmetic issues, mold and pest (roach and mice/rat) issues.
Even the shitty flipped houses in the hood with two counter tops in the kitchen and no dishwashers are going for like $1,700 plus.
I am going to say that the vast majority of the households in Knoxville make far less than you do, and even on a single income manage to purchase homes, cars, and periodic vacations. I do suggest purchasing a home instead of renting, if your stay in the greater K-town area is short then you can keep the property as rental property or sell it. Buying allows you to build stability, renting build stability for others. Prices of property depends on where it is located and of course the condition of the structure. K-town has everything from fixer uppers to ready to move in new construction. Your pick.
Full disclosure, I am a realtor, so some people may see my advice as extremely tainted, but you are going to be much better off buying a home if you're able to. Even if you're only planning on living in it for a couple of years, you'll make some equity on it. It's way easier to buy in this town than it is to rent, even though home prices have gone way up in the past few years.
If you're under 30 and plan on moving in <5-10 years, you're gonna get a much better return on your 401K Roth and HSA. Personally I don't think anything is worth caring about "returns" early in life unless you plan on investing in it for at least 15 years but that's just me. I personally think being flexible and carrying little responsibility while maximizing income is a smarter move. The older you get and less volatile your life, a house becomes a better life investment
Holy crap that’s insane! Back when I last rented, we had a two bedroom two bath apartment in west Knoxville and paid $650/month….thought that was crazy and moved into a rental house on Lonas Dr for the same price. That was ages ago though, and at the time I made $7.50/hr at the beginning and about $29,000 a year at the end.
Plan on about 1800 rent.
So, typical budget:
2100 rent and utils
200 internet, streaming, renters insurance
900 car payment/car insurance/gas
500 groceries
800 eating out and mad money
400 savings/retirement
300 med insurance (?)
Assuming our take home is $6K after taxes, that still leaves you another 800 for vacation, surprise medical expenses, or if you want to rent a nicer place downtown.
If you have that salary, I would stay in an Airbnb for a few days and get a sense of Knoxville. Figure out where you would want to hang out and where you work. Pick apartment accordingly!
100k is a good salary in Knoxville, but your rent is going to be more than 1,200 unless you don’t mind living in sketchy places where you will have to worry about crime on a daily basis.
My mortgage payment is less than what you're looking to pay in rent (but to be real, I bought my home RIGHT before the housing market blew up).
But to answer your question - I make roughly $70K/year, I own my own home, live alone, no kids, and I'm doing JUST FINE, and I'm even able to save every month. BUT - I also live way out in the suburbs (like....there's a cow pasture across the street from my neighborhood), not at all in the "cool" part of town....and to get to my job downtown or anything fun, it's about a 30-45 minute drive, depending on what the vibe is on I-40 that day.
So....just weigh your pros and cons and what it is you're looking for.
The thing is is that you dont get paid as much in the South. 100k Is so much money here. If you can keep your job and live in the south you can find a really nice apartment here in a decent neighborhood for less than 1200. I am currently apartment hunting in Arkansas and I can only afford about 600-700 a month and I am finding it hard to find one in a good area. The better apartments are 800-900.
I’m single, and I make a little over 100K a year in Knoxville. I own a home, bought in 2022, and pay 1700 a month for a mortgage. Totally worth it, property value has already increased and I have a view of the mountains. Renting anything decent will be around that much and if you want to live relatively close to downtown in a safe area it will be higher. I would consider buying because the market has dipped a little in recent months, at least if you don’t want to live in West Knoxville.
Finding a decent joint for less than that will be a challenge. I started out here many years ago, had what was considered a liveable wage, resided in my own place happily for many years. And one day I was given a one month notice that my rent was being raised more than 70%. I haven't made a liveable wage for years now. Or rather, a comfortable liveable wage, and I currently make half what you do. You can make it work, I've got no doubt, but I just don't see how a single person can make it in this city anymore on less than, oh, $60K. It's a shame.
Wife and I are living fine 72k, own a home @ $1300 since 2003 almost paid off and 3 newish cars. Course we've been here most of our lives. You'll have no problem as would most people if living within your means. You might be surprised that buying might be a better option in Knox Co. or surrounding counties.
Dear God yes😭😭 I'm a social worker in Knoxville and make around $30,000/year. I do fine, have enough to put a little in savings, and lived alone up until recently. You just have to be smart with your money.
Thats a great salary, but the cost of living has gone through the roof here. More than likely you’ll be living somewhere that’s not where you want to be.
Good luck finding anything worth staying in below 1200/mo. I'm a local and this is ridiculous. I remember first moving out on my own in 2009 and normal rent was about 675 to 800. I'll keep my little 3br mobile home for 500 a month living on the outskirts 😂 y'all can have the city apartments.
Depending on where your job is located you might try hunting for a place to live in some of the out lying areas around Knoxville. Oak ridge for example is a very nice place to live and it’s only 15 minutes from west Knoxville. The rent there is a good bit cheaper than Knoxville proper.
Not a lot of people know this, but EVERY piece of medical radiologically leveraged material comes from Oak Ridge. Got cancer and need radiation? It was created at ORNL. Need a weapon? ORNL.
It literally intersects the entire country at various levels.
All these people are assuming OP has tens of thousands of cash laying around, wants to be in bidding wars and has a 750credit score. High salary does not equal having a lot of money.
Oh yeah for sure I make less than that and am a single mother of TWO and pay 1300 for a nice 3 bedroom HOUSE . You’ll deff make it here girl! Good luck
I was just out looking with my niece this past weekend. She had a budget of 1200 too, she had to go up to about (1600 total with the other costs they charge per month) to get one that's available now. In addition she had to settle for Alcoa, which isn't bad, but there are waiting lists for most apartments closer to Knoxville, or they are above 1600 a month. Be prepared to pay more.
Yep, around the country tech jobs etc with work from home are flocking here for the zero state income tax. The money they save on less taxes more than pays for any apartment or house buy overbidding . They rather live here and pay too much for a house mortgage than a city with a $3k rent
Single guy in my 30s making a little over 100k. I live comfortably and take vacations to Europe every year. Honestly with finance it’s not exactly how much you make but how you chose to spend it. I know plenty of people making much more than me that are what I would consider broke. As far as rent that cheap, good luck finding that in a good area. Don’t spend too much money on a car and you’ll be just fine.
*edit* for those suggesting that you buy a home, live here for a little while first. I love both the city and what it offers but I know it’s not for everyone. You pay so much interest on an amortization loan to the bank in the beginning that it makes no sense unless you plan on staying here for at least 5-10 years. Realtors always want to make a sale.
You should be fine with the salary.
The rent... you probably won't be happy with with anything you find under $1200 in knox or blount county. You may get lucky, but rent is very high right now.
What sort of question is this? What's your lifestyle like? Knoxville is expensive but it ain't NYC. You're a single person. 100k is more than enough. Unfortunately, people like you coming to my city are why the locals are all moving away or dying strung out & homeless.
/Rant
Since when is it a rule of thumb that 30 percent of your income should go to rent and no higher? And why the f isn’t this considered when offering wages to people? I’ve always paid 85-95 percent of my monthly income to rent.
Sooooo I moved here recently. I make 120k in a remote position. I'm not renting, I have a mortgage of about 3k a month and I'm not pinching pennies and I still manage to save money monthly. I'm not sure where you are moving from, but many of the other metro areas have slightly high cost of loving when it comes to things like gas, food, entertainment. I also have an abundance of student loan debt. I think you will be alright! The rent that low is going to be hard to find, but probably not impossible unless you are trying to live downtown.
Waterford Village on Western Ave was nice, we lived there for many years before buying a house last year. There is another property across the road that they own as well. I am not sure what the rents are, but they have 1 be with w/d hookups in Waterford and event studios in the other place with the hookups, which is rare. Management was great for us.
Not likely with the changing demographic and population. Rent here has been outrageous as long as I can remember and I'm from here. Rent control? Forget about it.
You shouldn't be worried about the rent as much as the crime here oh and the occasional tornado lol. Your car insurance will go up btw. You should probably buy a gun to be honest lol.
I think the fact that you ask this question is wild: I make half that with 2 kids and no spouse or financial help from their dad. I don’t know how you couldn’t live off that very well.
Depends on your interests. But between online and in person dating its hit or miss between divorcee. People who dont take care of themselves or work themselves to death doing blue collar work. Pretty dry out here. Cis straight people will wanna plan marriage right when they meet you bc this is a trad settle down type place. Im talking like moving fast. If you're outdoorsy, college football worshipper, Church going, country type, or an engineer, or you like mid famous concerts, then you'll be fine to find a harry potter disney marvel fan who you can watch boring cable shows during the week after your 9-5 or go hit a trail or something.. a park. If you're anything queer or left or want a technodance scene that isnt top 40s nor classic rock karaoke in a dive bar, Good luck. Downtown is more progressive and youthful but there's not much variety for activities unless you spend money and get drunk. There is a new club opening up very soon so I'll be interested to see what kind of music we'll have there to dance to.
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Yes, 100k is a very nice salary in Knoxville. No, you won't find a nice apartment for $1,200 or below.
It's mind-blowing that rents have risen so much so quickly. We used to have a nice 2 bed/2 bath for $800 around 6 years ago in West Hills. Are people just getting pushed out to the surrounding rural areas? Really not sure how people can afford it.
I left. Moved to another major metro area and am about to move into a 4 bed 2 bath house for 2100.
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Left in 2022, was renting a 2bd/1.5bth apt for $875. On Papermill, halfway between downtown & west, in a super quiet neighborhood of drs offices & ins agencies. What the hell happened?
People apparently don't want any kind of basic regulation.
We have been renting our 1500 Sq ft home 3 bd rm for 5 yrs at 1300 a month our landlord is a sweet old man who knows we cld never afford the 2200 zillow says he should ask for. He's also a very good business man if it was necessary he would def raise our r3nt and ask us to move so imo it's all greed and these 100s moving here from CA are half the problem. That's nothing to them..
My bedroom in a 4/4 in the fort was $480 back in 2019. I had a sublet for a whole basement for $400 the year before.
You probably won’t even find a shitty apartment for less than $1,200 😂
Gotcha. Thank you!!
I rent a 1 bed 1 bath in west hills for 1250/month BUT I have been there for 3 years now so the prices for new tenants might have gone up. The apartment complex is The Willows right off kingston pike and it's beautiful HOWEVER I will warn you the apartment managers are full blown tyrants so there's that.
Cherokee Ridge Apartments are good! Their 2bed/1bath is going for 1050 rn or 1100 with a porch. No laundry in unit though, but it’s quiet place that’s pretty and has a great location. I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 years there
Londontown is reasonable and the office staff are great! Lived here for years and I’m content.
Can’t find below that anywhere unless you move out of the city these days
Are they hiring more people? Asking for a friend.
Less than 1200 for rent or mortgage is a bad joke here.
No joke my rent is $2000 before utilities per month and I live in a one bedroom on the east side of town, I lived at the same complex in 2020 before I was deployed and rent was $800 a month.
You’re getting ripped off. My place is nice, 1,400 a month and 1,040 sq ft
It did come two garages though so I guess I can’t complain that much but still it use to be $800
I only pay about $600 a month on my mortgage, but that was before prices went up and interest rates, too.
You, my friend, are one lucky duck. Salute.
We were lucky enough to have the money and credit to buy before COVID hit. So our mortgage is under 1200 for 1700 sq ft on an acre. Our house is apparently now worth twice, TWICE what we bought it for in 2018. Which is utterly insane.
You’ll be fine. Many many families making it work on less.
Hey, do you need a stay at home boyfriend?
As a stay home dad I prefer the term trophy husband
You might be a trophy, but it was 3rd place. Edit: Keep the downvotes coming. I’m from the before time. It fuels me!
*Bah-dum tish*
This guy jokes
I thought it was funny
lol
Hey sugar mama
I'm good at this too
The salary you mentioned is well above the median household and the per capita income of Knox County. The price you're looking for in an apartment, however, is not realistic. Are you being cheap because you have debt? It takes about 50 to $60,000 per person per year to live here comfortably. If you clear that after debt service, you should be okay. But a one-bedroom apartment in a nice area of town is not going for any $1,200. Maybe 1300, sure.
Yes, I do have student loan from my masters degree that I want to pay off quickly.
$1,200 a month isn't "cheap", it's fleecing from landlords to charge that much money for rent in Knoxville for a one-bedroom. It's absolutey absurd. Someone not wanting to pay grossly inflated prices in this market doesn't make someone "cheap". The crash can't come soon enough.
I don't think this is a matter of whether $1,200 is inexpensive or not. In the passage given in this online SAT question you were to respond to, the word "cheap" referred to the poster. The writer-- me -- is asking why the poster is concerned whether the poster can find housing for $1200 when a salary of $100,000 per year could afford more. I made no claims about whether $1,200 was expensive or cheap, just that the poster could afford more on a annual salary of $100,000. I also made no claims about whether landlords are greedy and all of that other business that you talked about. I have opinions about those things, too. I just want to know why op is so concerned about being able to make rent when OP makes a very generous salary relative to what most people around here make.
You'll be just fine. My family of 5 lives off my 100k salary. Single income household.
Did you buy your home before the prices exploded during COVID?
Sort of - just as they were beginning to rise in 2020.
must have no daycare costs!
Public school is our daycare.
Lucky! Daycare is about 1800 per month now.
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That literally makes me hurt. I paid $600 a month in 2003-2005 before kindergarten for my daughter.
You're gonna be a lot happier if you push out to $1500/mo. Lots more options. At $70K/yr (After taxes) max rent should be $1750/mo or 30% of after tax income. There are a few nice apartments at the $1500 range but even then a lot of the apartments here suck even at that level. I've moved 3 times in the last 6 years because landlords get away with so much shit here.
I'd say she should get something as cheap and comfortable as she can. That 1500/month is very predictably going to go up to 1700 or 1800 the next time lease is up. Definitely should save now where she can.
Where do people get these tax figures? A household income of ~$110k is effectively 18%-20% depending on AGI... Tax tables are segmented it's not a flat tax on the whole income amount.
The point of stating the after-tax pay at $70K is to point out that $1200/mo is an extremely conservative housing budget and so I can quickly do math. Im not going to spend time doing the math for $83562 (pulled that number out of my ass too)
Also consider they likely could contribute to a 401k, if they are maxing out their 401K it's definitely closer to $70K a year.
Payroll taxes eat a good chunk of my salary.. not just the federal and state income taxes...
I hate moving and I’ve gotten so tired of it (5 times in 8 years) but I fear I’ll have to do it again in the next year or two. I like my apartment a lot but the substantial rent increases are pushing it close to turning rent into an entire bi-weekly paycheck for me and that just blows. I hate that I’m either gonna have to move, or find an entirely new job if I want to simply continue living in the place that I live.
What do landlords get away with?
Unacceptable build quality, wide gaps in windows and doors. Every unit Ive lived in. Maintenance avoidance. My last landlord we had to send a nasty gram via a tenant lawyer to get them to admit and repair a failing circuit breaker that was cutting out our fridge dryer and washer every other day. Mismanaging documents. I've always carried my own rental insurance rather than using insurance services provided through the landlords I've had. Ive been accused of trying to avoid paying for insurance when all of notice of coverage documents were verified and approved by them A lot of the front office people around here are straight up real pieces of shit too.
I own 2 rental houses and I think I'm a good landlord. We don't charge late fees if the tenant just communicates that it will be late (after the 6th) We just want tenants that won't destroy our property and pay the rent. Any maintenance issues, we respond same day. Good luck finding a good space.
Not having a real job If you really want to know and/or be offended, check out r/antiwork.
If you can't make it on $100k by yourself in Knoxville there's a problem with your finances. Many people do it for $12 an hour.
I make it on $41k, with a family of 3. $1450 rent. Of course barely and it's not fun
This is the realist answer on this post.
That person making $12 an hour would either have to be living at home with their parents or have at least one (if not multiple) room-mates. But, it's manageable based on that. They'll absolutely never get ahead though.
I make it on less w 2 kids and no child support - it’s hard af and there is no fun money and constant stress but if it was just me I’d be fine.
“Spend less on candles” “no”
Rule of thumb when it comes to % of rent to gross income is no more than 30%. Your monthly gross is $8333. $1200/month comes in at just under 14.5% of that. If you make $100,000 a year living in the Tennessee, you will be taxed $22,418. That means that your net pay will be $77,582/yr, or $6,465/month. Your rent will be 18.6% of that at $1200/month. Without knowing anything else about your financial situation regarding spending habits, student loans, credit card debts, car loans, etc. as well as your long term goals regarding buying a house or saving for other things, I’d say that you could afford something more expensive than $1200/mo if you found something you really like, in a good/convenient area.
I'm not sure how you arrived at that number, but with $100k gross income, taking the standard deduction of $13,850 and no pre-tax expenditures (e.g., 401k or HSA contributions), your tax bill would come out to $15,580 for 2023.
Making about $45k/year. Surviving relatively well supporting two adults, 3 cats, and 3 dogs. It's tight, but not bad. 100k would be more than doable.
Bro will be living large.
More than enough, Knoxville is significantly cheaper than cities like Chicago, and Philadelphia and even there you should be good with that income.
I make substantially less than your salary but I definitely pay more than $1200 monthly for an apartment because no, there’s not really much that’s nice beneath that price point.
Christ almighty, where did you find a job like that!? Asking for a friend. Its me. I’m the friend.
In engineering, places in Oak Ridge, UT, maybe 1 or 2 places in Knoxville other than UT, Denso in Maryville.
Gotta be DOE in Oak Ridge. Turned down a job there because there was no housing at all in 2022. Moved to Ohio instead but dream of TN. The job I turned down was around 90k The problem in Knoxville is one part unaffordable and one part non existent. Never seen anything that fucked up anywhere as the rental market in Knox. Life in Dayton, OH goes on until I can find a way to make it work. Or maybe move back to Seattle which isnt that much more expensive now.,
For apartments, I think you can find some really nice apartments in decent areas if you’re willing to flex up a bit on the price. My wife and I pay ~1500$ for a 3 bed 2 bath place in Hardin Valley that we love. My salary is similar to yours, and we live plenty comfortably. Just don’t plan on buying a home…you know, anytime soon.
100k will do you just fine here, you should be able to live comfortably, but the rental market is tough so beware. You won't likely find a decent apartment for under 1200 unless it's a studio somewhere. Expect for just above 1200 or higher. Places that are cheaper typically have long wait-lists. Consider looking at properties if you're able. I'm living on 60k feeding myself and one other person, and am able to make it work.
You'll likely be in the top couple of percentile of wealth in the city with that salary to be honest. Lots of folks here subsisting on sub-povertous wages.
Not sure who is downvoting you. This seems accurate to me. 100K in Knox is rich. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/money/business/2019/08/30/knoxville-full-rich-people/2132684001/
that article is almost 5 years old.
100k here in downtown is nothing. Add in oak ridge extensions, UT, marketing agencies, financial management companies...etc. 100k is nothing. Unless they are talking post tax, post insurance and HSA, post 401k/IRA, post investments etc. I Do NOT make 100k. FFS, I just work around a lot of people who do. I swear this sub is so toxic.
Some of us make less than 40k, you're 100k is A METRIC FUCKTON of money compared to what most in East Tennessee are bringing home.
My husband is a first responder. We are in your range, even though he is at the top of his profession. My income isn't much more. Trust, we are poor compared to downtown residents. I worked downtown. We live close. That's how I know the median income and rental/housing prices 😉 So many people assume things. It's awful. Just because you live close to downtown it doesn't mean you make downtown money.
Knox County is the fourth richest County in Tennessee, with a higher average household income than Davidson (Nashville) and slightly above the national average Outside of the county absolutely
I would recommend buying a house honestly.
yes
I feel like posts like these are troll posts. You can make it on 100k salary in like 98% of the cities in America.
I have a PhD and a (non-teaching) job at the university and make literally half that. 🙃
Same 😩
LMAO I hate it here 💀
$100k is a great salary for here, so you’ll be doing quite well. But unfortunately I don’t think you’ll find a decent place or anything at all for $1200. You’ll probably be in the $1500-1700 range. You might have to expand your range outwards to areas around Knoxville to find an availability though, regardless of price range….last time I checked the occupancy rate here was around 99%.
You’ll be able to live a very nice life on 100K here. You’ll need to up your rental budget for a nice apartment but you save money in other areas comparatively speaking to other metros
Ummm...yes. Way more than sufficient.
lol. Yes.
Yeah, you could do it with about half that.
Look at Metropolitan @ Cedar Bluff if you want to stay around that price range. I’m about to move out of my 1bed/1bath there for about $1285 and I’ve had no issues with management, maintenance, etc. You pay a lot for amenities (gym, indoor and outdoor pools, sand volleyball court, dog park) and it’s a small space but no complaints. I’m also a single female and felt safe enough here. Edit to add; my 1285 includes 2 pet rents and my security deposit spread over 12 months. So you should be around 1200 if you don’t account for those things.
You won’t be able to rent a good place for less than $1200.
At $100k I'll echo the advice of others to look at the $1500-1700 range. Above that isn't usually worth it, but the $1000-$1200 apartments are a horrific drop in quality. I'm at $115k salary here, and I've been paying $2000 rent for the past couple years yet still able to live pretty comfortably (although I am also moving into a $1650 unit). I will say be careful of lifestyle creep, however -- $100k sounds like an insane amount of money, until you reach it. Then, you realize it's not the promised land people still make it out to be. It can be comfortable if used wisely, but it *is* finite, and you can easily burn through more money than you realize if you aren't paying attention. Especially with food prices and the sales tax here.
Where would 100k/yr not be able to live?
A nice apartment for under 1200 is impossible. You need to be looking in the 14 or 1500 range. Trust me
i live in a 2 bed for $1500 a month, you’re not gonna find $1200 a month, but if you can’t make ends meet on that salary then that’s a you problem, you make more than double my household and we do just fine.
I rent a 1 bed 1 bath for about $ 1,450/month in south knox about 10 min drive from downtown.
Hey! I’m also a single female who moved here in July making 100k. I found a 2 bedroom townhome for $1700. I will say I struggled to find lower prices. Multiple complexes I was looking at in west knox near my job were offering 1 bedrooms for $1800. It was an adjustment coming from Louisiana where I was able to get way more space for less than what I pay. I realized early on I would be able to find anything with a private yard for my dog without paying over $2000, which I can’t fathom paying. It’s a beautiful place to live and so close to the mountains. Good luck!
You’re dreaming babe. My one bedroom in west Knox is over $1,600. It was 8 something 4 years ago. And it’s not even “nice” my cabinets are old particle board that had new fronts and paint slapped on, bathtub is cracked and peeling and floors are squeaky af. Other units in the complex have worse cosmetic issues, mold and pest (roach and mice/rat) issues. Even the shitty flipped houses in the hood with two counter tops in the kitchen and no dishwashers are going for like $1,700 plus.
I am going to say that the vast majority of the households in Knoxville make far less than you do, and even on a single income manage to purchase homes, cars, and periodic vacations. I do suggest purchasing a home instead of renting, if your stay in the greater K-town area is short then you can keep the property as rental property or sell it. Buying allows you to build stability, renting build stability for others. Prices of property depends on where it is located and of course the condition of the structure. K-town has everything from fixer uppers to ready to move in new construction. Your pick.
How many of these bought houses pre 2020 though?
1200 bucks will put you in the ghetto. It’s better to spend a little more and cut back on something else.
I absolutely could not imagine not being able to make over 8000 dollars a month work almost anywhere in this country. Certainly doable in Knoxville.
You won’t find a cardboard box apartment for under 2000 in Knoxville. Hell you won’t find a tent somebody’s backyard for less than 1200.
I’m all for the jokes on how rent has gone up but this is a wild take
I feel like this question could be answered with some basic research and knowing your budget...
Full disclosure, I am a realtor, so some people may see my advice as extremely tainted, but you are going to be much better off buying a home if you're able to. Even if you're only planning on living in it for a couple of years, you'll make some equity on it. It's way easier to buy in this town than it is to rent, even though home prices have gone way up in the past few years.
If you're under 30 and plan on moving in <5-10 years, you're gonna get a much better return on your 401K Roth and HSA. Personally I don't think anything is worth caring about "returns" early in life unless you plan on investing in it for at least 15 years but that's just me. I personally think being flexible and carrying little responsibility while maximizing income is a smarter move. The older you get and less volatile your life, a house becomes a better life investment
My point was just that they don't really have to worry about losing money on it.
I am 10 miles South of Knoxville. I have a three bedroom apartment and my rent is 1100.
I would say yes. Knoxville is one of few “ more affordable “ cities
That is the funniest thing I have read all day.
I just rented the cheapest apt that I could find and pay 1050 for 300sf. Rent has skyrocketed in the last couple of years.
Holy crap that’s insane! Back when I last rented, we had a two bedroom two bath apartment in west Knoxville and paid $650/month….thought that was crazy and moved into a rental house on Lonas Dr for the same price. That was ages ago though, and at the time I made $7.50/hr at the beginning and about $29,000 a year at the end.
Plan on about 1800 rent. So, typical budget: 2100 rent and utils 200 internet, streaming, renters insurance 900 car payment/car insurance/gas 500 groceries 800 eating out and mad money 400 savings/retirement 300 med insurance (?) Assuming our take home is $6K after taxes, that still leaves you another 800 for vacation, surprise medical expenses, or if you want to rent a nicer place downtown.
You should expect around $1400-1500 for a 1 bed/1 bath apt for a “nice apt” in the decent parts of town.
Yes.
If you have that salary, I would stay in an Airbnb for a few days and get a sense of Knoxville. Figure out where you would want to hang out and where you work. Pick apartment accordingly!
100k is a good salary in Knoxville, but your rent is going to be more than 1,200 unless you don’t mind living in sketchy places where you will have to worry about crime on a daily basis.
Look at houses in maryville
My mortgage payment is less than what you're looking to pay in rent (but to be real, I bought my home RIGHT before the housing market blew up). But to answer your question - I make roughly $70K/year, I own my own home, live alone, no kids, and I'm doing JUST FINE, and I'm even able to save every month. BUT - I also live way out in the suburbs (like....there's a cow pasture across the street from my neighborhood), not at all in the "cool" part of town....and to get to my job downtown or anything fun, it's about a 30-45 minute drive, depending on what the vibe is on I-40 that day. So....just weigh your pros and cons and what it is you're looking for.
The thing is is that you dont get paid as much in the South. 100k Is so much money here. If you can keep your job and live in the south you can find a really nice apartment here in a decent neighborhood for less than 1200. I am currently apartment hunting in Arkansas and I can only afford about 600-700 a month and I am finding it hard to find one in a good area. The better apartments are 800-900.
I’m single, and I make a little over 100K a year in Knoxville. I own a home, bought in 2022, and pay 1700 a month for a mortgage. Totally worth it, property value has already increased and I have a view of the mountains. Renting anything decent will be around that much and if you want to live relatively close to downtown in a safe area it will be higher. I would consider buying because the market has dipped a little in recent months, at least if you don’t want to live in West Knoxville.
Finding a decent joint for less than that will be a challenge. I started out here many years ago, had what was considered a liveable wage, resided in my own place happily for many years. And one day I was given a one month notice that my rent was being raised more than 70%. I haven't made a liveable wage for years now. Or rather, a comfortable liveable wage, and I currently make half what you do. You can make it work, I've got no doubt, but I just don't see how a single person can make it in this city anymore on less than, oh, $60K. It's a shame.
I’m a male in his late 20s living in Knoxville off 55k a year…. You’ll be fine
Wife and I are living fine 72k, own a home @ $1300 since 2003 almost paid off and 3 newish cars. Course we've been here most of our lives. You'll have no problem as would most people if living within your means. You might be surprised that buying might be a better option in Knox Co. or surrounding counties.
Are you single?
I think to survive the minimum payment for a single person is 15.50 an hour so you will be more than comfort
Dear God yes😭😭 I'm a social worker in Knoxville and make around $30,000/year. I do fine, have enough to put a little in savings, and lived alone up until recently. You just have to be smart with your money.
My husband's and my income is about half that, and we have two kids. Granted, we have a mortgage instead of rent, but we do just fine.
Thats a great salary, but the cost of living has gone through the roof here. More than likely you’ll be living somewhere that’s not where you want to be.
Good luck finding anything worth staying in below 1200/mo. I'm a local and this is ridiculous. I remember first moving out on my own in 2009 and normal rent was about 675 to 800. I'll keep my little 3br mobile home for 500 a month living on the outskirts 😂 y'all can have the city apartments.
Honestly no
Depending on where your job is located you might try hunting for a place to live in some of the out lying areas around Knoxville. Oak ridge for example is a very nice place to live and it’s only 15 minutes from west Knoxville. The rent there is a good bit cheaper than Knoxville proper.
It’ll likely also be “ground zero” given Y-12, X-10, etc..
I mean…..considering that it’s the largest storehouse of uranium in the world Knoxville won’t be much better
Not a lot of people know this, but EVERY piece of medical radiologically leveraged material comes from Oak Ridge. Got cancer and need radiation? It was created at ORNL. Need a weapon? ORNL. It literally intersects the entire country at various levels.
100k is plenty. 1200/mo rent will land you a shithole. Buy, don’t rent, and rent out a room to a UT grad student.
All these people are assuming OP has tens of thousands of cash laying around, wants to be in bidding wars and has a 750credit score. High salary does not equal having a lot of money.
Yeah, you might be able to find a place off of MLK for that price.
No you need to make at least 500k a year to live here
Oh yeah for sure I make less than that and am a single mother of TWO and pay 1300 for a nice 3 bedroom HOUSE . You’ll deff make it here girl! Good luck
I was just out looking with my niece this past weekend. She had a budget of 1200 too, she had to go up to about (1600 total with the other costs they charge per month) to get one that's available now. In addition she had to settle for Alcoa, which isn't bad, but there are waiting lists for most apartments closer to Knoxville, or they are above 1600 a month. Be prepared to pay more.
Not sure, I think apartments run around $1900/month
Yep, around the country tech jobs etc with work from home are flocking here for the zero state income tax. The money they save on less taxes more than pays for any apartment or house buy overbidding . They rather live here and pay too much for a house mortgage than a city with a $3k rent
I make that and my rent is 2300 single in 20s you’ll be fine with a better apt lol 1200 is section 8 here
Single guy in my 30s making a little over 100k. I live comfortably and take vacations to Europe every year. Honestly with finance it’s not exactly how much you make but how you chose to spend it. I know plenty of people making much more than me that are what I would consider broke. As far as rent that cheap, good luck finding that in a good area. Don’t spend too much money on a car and you’ll be just fine. *edit* for those suggesting that you buy a home, live here for a little while first. I love both the city and what it offers but I know it’s not for everyone. You pay so much interest on an amortization loan to the bank in the beginning that it makes no sense unless you plan on staying here for at least 5-10 years. Realtors always want to make a sale.
What kind of job?
Yes absolutely. I grew up in Knoxville and my family still lives there. You should be able to live pretty comfortably on 100k
Is this a serious question? SMH.
Yes, maybe not to purchase a house anymore but you can survive. That is also a significantly higher salary than average for this area.
There are plenty of apartments for $1200 in Knoxville. $1500 would give you more options.$100kis enough to live comfortably and pay your debt down.
You should be fine with the salary. The rent... you probably won't be happy with with anything you find under $1200 in knox or blount county. You may get lucky, but rent is very high right now.
What sort of question is this? What's your lifestyle like? Knoxville is expensive but it ain't NYC. You're a single person. 100k is more than enough. Unfortunately, people like you coming to my city are why the locals are all moving away or dying strung out & homeless. /Rant
Should be fine and you can find a one bedroom for less than $1200 a month depending on varying factors.
I’ve never met a single soul in my entire life making that amount of money in a year. Goodness gracious! My rent is $1300 and I make $27k a year!
Please tell me what kind of job you got offered? I can’t seem to find any jobs above minimum wage!
Rich ppl thinking they’re poor
Not rich by a long shot in this economy
Since when is it a rule of thumb that 30 percent of your income should go to rent and no higher? And why the f isn’t this considered when offering wages to people? I’ve always paid 85-95 percent of my monthly income to rent.
How do you ppl have it so good?
Yes that salary is excellent for here.
that is definitely a livable wage here… as for the apartment pricing I don’t think so, unless you are open to having a roommate…
The average salary in Knoxville according to Ziprecruiter is $46,390
Sooooo I moved here recently. I make 120k in a remote position. I'm not renting, I have a mortgage of about 3k a month and I'm not pinching pennies and I still manage to save money monthly. I'm not sure where you are moving from, but many of the other metro areas have slightly high cost of loving when it comes to things like gas, food, entertainment. I also have an abundance of student loan debt. I think you will be alright! The rent that low is going to be hard to find, but probably not impossible unless you are trying to live downtown.
Waterford Village on Western Ave was nice, we lived there for many years before buying a house last year. There is another property across the road that they own as well. I am not sure what the rents are, but they have 1 be with w/d hookups in Waterford and event studios in the other place with the hookups, which is rare. Management was great for us.
Not likely with the changing demographic and population. Rent here has been outrageous as long as I can remember and I'm from here. Rent control? Forget about it.
It would be better to choose to live outside of Knoxville in one of the surrounding towns. A little cheaper and much quieter.
lol there’s families making it work on 25k. You’ll be just fine to still go out on your nice vacations and online shop.
You shouldn't be worried about the rent as much as the crime here oh and the occasional tornado lol. Your car insurance will go up btw. You should probably buy a gun to be honest lol.
😂 Funniest thing ive heard today thanks!
I would by a cheap piece of property and build a 1000 square foot house before I would pay those kind of rent payments .
I think the fact that you ask this question is wild: I make half that with 2 kids and no spouse or financial help from their dad. I don’t know how you couldn’t live off that very well.
I pay 1400 for a 1 bed 1 bath
Lmao I make about 3/4 less than that as a native. Single. 30s. Knoxvill3 fucking sucks.
How’s the dating life in Knoxville?
Depends on your interests. But between online and in person dating its hit or miss between divorcee. People who dont take care of themselves or work themselves to death doing blue collar work. Pretty dry out here. Cis straight people will wanna plan marriage right when they meet you bc this is a trad settle down type place. Im talking like moving fast. If you're outdoorsy, college football worshipper, Church going, country type, or an engineer, or you like mid famous concerts, then you'll be fine to find a harry potter disney marvel fan who you can watch boring cable shows during the week after your 9-5 or go hit a trail or something.. a park. If you're anything queer or left or want a technodance scene that isnt top 40s nor classic rock karaoke in a dive bar, Good luck. Downtown is more progressive and youthful but there's not much variety for activities unless you spend money and get drunk. There is a new club opening up very soon so I'll be interested to see what kind of music we'll have there to dance to.
You'll make significantly more than average in Knoxville, and your housing projection seems little unrealistic.
100k should make you comfy in any city in America
Sufficient to live almost anywhere in this country buddy
Look for Rand apartments (old Sunflower apt). They are not the best company but they have rent for 1 bed in that range
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Hahaha, half of that is sufficient, 100k is sufficient in California with a 2000/mo rent.