MonitorBankRates
☰
New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Rocky Top, TN Housing Affordability Index

Rocky Top, Tennessee has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 114.8 (More Affordable Than Average) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 287th most affordable of 380 scored Tennessee cities, compared with 103.7 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $149,100 home with 20% down, the Tennessee average 30-year fixed rate of 7.18% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $808, or 30% of the city’s $32,868 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Rocky Top is updated every night from live Tennessee mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Rocky Top MBR-HAI 114.8 More Affordable Than Average
Rank in Tennessee 287 of 380 1 = most affordable
Tennessee 103.7 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.18% Tennessee lenders
Median home value $149,100 U.S. Census Bureau

Rocky Top is 11.0 points above the Tennessee score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Tennessee index

View Rocky Top Mortgage Rates

See What You Can Afford in Rocky Top, Tennessee

Use this Rocky Top, Tennessee home affordability calculator to see how much house you can afford at today’s Tennessee average 30-year mortgage rate of 7.18%. A household earning the Rocky Top median income of $32,868, with no other debts and $30,000 down, can afford a home of about $125,293, compared with a median home value of $149,100. Buying the median priced home with 20% down takes a household income of about $40,800 once property tax and insurance are counted.

Rocky Top median (Census)
Car, student loan, card minimums
Under 20% adds PMI
Tennessee average, 30-year fixed
Rocky Top median bill (Census)
Estimate; use your quote
You can afford a home up to
$125,293
Below the Rocky Top median home value of $149,100
Loan amount$95,293
Principal & interest$646/mo
Property tax$69/mo
Home insurance$52/mo
PMI$0/mo
Total monthly payment$767/mo
Compare Rocky Top Mortgage Rates

How much house can you afford in Rocky Top?

Most lenders use two limits. Your housing payment, including principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance and any PMI, should stay under about 28% of your gross monthly income, and all of your monthly debt payments together should stay under about 36%. The calculator takes whichever limit is lower, then works backward from that payment to the most expensive home it covers at the current rate.

In Rocky Top, property taxes run about 0.66% of a home’s value each year, based on the Census median tax bill, which counts against the same monthly budget as the mortgage. Each quarter point move in mortgage rates changes the price you can afford by roughly $2,046 for a median income household. A larger down payment, paying down other debts, or a lower rate from a local lender all raise your budget.

What It Takes to Buy in Rocky Top

$808/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.18%
$34,600
Income Needed
To keep principal and interest at 28% of income
$32,868
Median Household Income
Tennessee: $69,595
4.5x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Tennessee: 4.1x
$527/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$982/yr
Median Property Tax
0.66% of median value
37.5%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
34.5%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Rocky Top, Tennessee. The rate is the Tennessee average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Rocky Top Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Rocky Top, Tennessee score: 114.8 (More Affordable Than Average), ranked 287 of 380 Tennessee cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/tennessee/rocky-top”