Evaluated, not offering now

Clarksville, Tennessee rental market: our review

Clarksville is a military rental market with low holding costs: Fort Campbell's soldiers and families fill rentals, and property tax runs about half the national rate. Lineage is not offering properties here now because the typical rent covers the loan payment with room to spare only at the very bottom of our price range.

Reviewed by Patrick Roach

Clarksville is a four-county metro of 349,001 people on the Tennessee and Kentucky line, home to Fort Campbell and the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Most soldiers and their families live off post, so the base drives rental demand in a way payroll numbers miss. Costs are the strength. Property tax inside the city is 0.778% of value against 1.504% nationally, and Tennessee insurance premiums are rising more slowly than the national trend. The weak side is growth. Single-family rents rose 2.70% in the year to September 2026, behind the national pace, payroll jobs dipped 0.37%, and typical values barely moved.

What’s changing in Clarksville, TN

Dated announcements that bring jobs. Announced means planned, and operating means people work there now.

  1. AnnouncedDecember 15, 2025

    Korea Zinc plans a smelter and U.S. headquarters at the former Nyrstar site

    $6.6 billion at announcement, across Clarksville and a reopened mine in Gordonsville, Smith County (budgeted at $7.43 billion by April 2026); 420 new jobs in Montgomery County over five years. Site preparation in 2026, construction in 2027, completion targeted for 2029

    What it means for rentersConstruction crews come first and rent near the site, then plant hiring builds toward full capacity by 2030. Suppliers, contractors, and service firms usually hire alongside a plant this size.

    Source: Clarksville Now
  2. AnnouncedDecember 10, 2025

    T.RAD North America builds a plant in Clarksville

    $90.2 million, 928 jobs

    What it means for rentersA plant this size draws parts and logistics suppliers along I-24, and many new hires rent while they settle in. The facility still has to be built, so hiring is some way off.

    Source: WSMV
  3. AnnouncedJuly 24, 2025

    TriStar Health plans a 68-bed hospital in Clarksville

    $286 million, more than 200 healthcare jobs. State approval granted. No construction or opening date published.

    What it means for rentersNurses, technicians, and support staff who relocate for a new hospital usually rent first. Construction crews come before them.

    Source: TriStar Health
Show all 5 announcements
  1. Under constructionJune 2026

    Ascension Saint Thomas breaks ground on a Clarksville hospital

    $148.5 million; about 250 hospital jobs, and Ascension estimates more than 1,300 direct and indirect jobs across the region; 44 beds at opening

    What it means for rentersNurses, technicians, and support staff relocate for new hospitals and usually rent at first. No opening date has been announced.

    Source: Ascension
  2. AnnouncedJuly 28, 2026

    Fort Campbell plans new airfield hangars for the MV-75

    Planning for a new hangar at Campbell Army Airfield. No cost or completion date published

    What it means for rentersNew aircraft and facilities signal that the Army is investing in the 101st at Fort Campbell, which supports the soldier and family population that rents in Clarksville. Construction contracts would follow the planning stage.

    Source: U.S. Army
Who rents here

The institutions that fill rentals in Clarksville, TN

  • MilitaryAbout 28,200 assigned soldiers (FY2025 manning), about 49,000 active-duty family members, and about 8,300 Army civilians and contract employees

    Fort Campbell

    Home of the 101st Airborne Division. Figures are from the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs' February 2026 report, citing FY2025 manning. Most soldiers and families live off post.

    Source: Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs
  • University11,185 students, fall 2025

    Austin Peay State University

    A record enrollment for the university, which sits in downtown Clarksville.

    Source: Clarksville Online
  • Employer1,781 employees

    Trane

    The largest manufacturer in Montgomery County, making heating and air conditioning units. Figure from the county's January 2026 data profile.

    Source: MTIDA
  • Employer1,500+ employees

    Amazon

    A large distribution center in Montgomery County. Figure from the county's January 2026 data profile.

    Source: MTIDA
  • Employer1,000 employees

    Hankook Tire

    Tire plant in Montgomery County. Figure from the county's January 2026 data profile.

    Source: MTIDA
By the numbers

Clarksville, TN against the national figure

The seven measures Lineage checks in every market, each beside the national figure for the same period.

  • Rent to price (gross yield)

    below national
    Clarksville, TN
    6.67%
    National
    7.39%

    On a $1,612 typical rent and a $289,820 typical value, rents are modest for what properties cost, which squeezes the room between rent and the loan payment.

    Zillow ZORI and ZHVI, single-family · September 2026

  • Rent growth

    below national
    Clarksville, TN
    +2.70%
    National
    +3.13%

    Rents are rising, a little behind the national pace, as new apartments open inside the city.

    Zillow ZORI, single-family · September 2026

  • Jobs and population

    below national
    Clarksville, TN
    Jobs -0.37%; population +0.69%
    National
    Jobs +0.32%; population +0.5%

    Population still grows faster than the country, but payroll jobs slipped, and soldiers are not counted in the payroll figure.

    BLS Current Employment Statistics (jobs, September 2026), Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates (population, July 2025) · September 2026

  • Vacancy and new supply

    below national
    Clarksville, TN
    5.15%
    National
    5.54%

    Vacancy is a bit below national, but 1,018 apartment units permitted in 2025, up 49%, are still opening and may push it up.

    Census ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, Census Building Permits Survey · ACS 2020 to 2024, permits 2025

  • Landlord law

    favorable
    Clarksville, TN
    14 days' notice
    National
    No national standard

    A lease can waive the notice in 12-point bold type, Tennessee sets no deposit cap and bars local rent control, and Clarksville has no rental registration.

    Tenn. Code 66-28-505, 66-28-301, and 66-35-102 · November 2026

  • Insurance

    favorable
    Clarksville, TN
    +4.1% a year
    National
    +6.8% a year

    Lineage sees $1,600 to $2,100 a year on a typical rental, and Tennessee premiums are rising more slowly than the nation's.

    Lineage blend of Insurify 2025 and 2026 readings, same method for state and nation · October 2026

  • Property management depth

    favorable
    Clarksville, TN
    Several established firms
    National
    No national benchmark

    Established managers work both sides of the state line, one in business since 1878 and another listing more than 1,000 doors.

    Lineage market research · October 2026

Why Lineage is not offering properties in Clarksville now

Our buy box needs the rent to cover the loan payment with room to spare, on a property priced between $150,000 and $350,000 in a Class A or B area. At Clarksville's typical single-family rent of $1,612, that works only on properties priced near the bottom of that range, around the lower third of the market. The typical single-family property is valued at $289,820, and the newer neighborhoods in east Clarksville and Sango run near $400,000. Values were flat over the past year, payroll jobs dipped, and the city's 2025 apartment wave is still opening. Low taxes and a steady military renter base are real strengths. The rent-to-price math is the obstacle for the properties we sell.

Markets we offer that fit a similar investor

Owning here

Law, taxes, and insurance

Landlord law in Tennessee

Most of the metro follows Tennessee's landlord and tenant act. For unpaid rent, the owner gives written notice and the tenant has 14 days to pay, and a lease can waive that notice if the waiver is printed in 12-point bold type. Tennessee sets no cap on security deposits, requires deposits to be held in a separate account, and bars local rent control. Clarksville has no rental registration program. Oak Grove and Hopkinsville sit in Kentucky, where the rules depend on whether the local government has adopted Kentucky's landlord and tenant act.

Taxes and insurance

Inside the City of Clarksville, a rental property pays about 0.778% of its value a year in property tax, about $2,255 on the $289,820 typical value. The national average is 1.504%. Unincorporated Montgomery County pays 0.525%. Kentucky taxes full value, so Oak Grove (0.960%) and Hopkinsville (0.931%) run higher. The city raised its rate in 2025 and 2026. Lineage's research found premiums of $1,600 to $2,100 a year for a typical rental, with Tennessee premiums rising about 4.1% a year.

Risks

What could go wrong

  • Reliance on one installation

    Fort Campbell is the market's anchor, and the Army is reorganizing units across its divisions. No local headcount change has been published, but a large stationing cut would change rental demand here quickly.

  • New apartment supply

    Builders permitted 1,018 apartment units in 2025, almost all inside the City of Clarksville, and those buildings are still opening.

  • Flat values

    Typical single-family values rose 0.17% over the year to September 2026, and Zillow forecasts 0.1% for the next 12 months against 1.1% nationally.

  • Tornado and flood exposure

    FEMA rates tornado and wind risk relatively high in Montgomery County, and an EF3 tornado crossed north Clarksville in December 2023. Flood risk along the Cumberland and Red rivers varies by property.

FAQ

Questions investors ask

Is Clarksville, TN a good place to buy rental property?

Clarksville has real strengths for an owner: Fort Campbell's soldiers and families rent off post, property tax inside the city is 0.778% against 1.504% nationally, and Tennessee insurance premiums are rising more slowly than the national trend. The weaker points are a gross yield of 6.67% against 7.39% nationally, flat values, and a dip in payroll jobs. Lineage is not offering properties here now because rents cover a loan with room to spare only at low prices.

What is the average rent for a single-family property in Clarksville?

The typical single-family rent in the Clarksville metro was $1,612 a month in September 2026, according to Zillow, up 2.70% from a year earlier. A junior enlisted family's 2026 military housing allowance at Fort Campbell is about $1,743 a month, slightly above that typical rent.

How many soldiers are at Fort Campbell?

The Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs' February 2026 report lists about 28,200 assigned soldiers at Fort Campbell, based on FY2025 manning, plus about 49,000 active-duty family members and about 8,300 Army civilians and contract employees. Most soldiers and families live off post in Clarksville, Oak Grove, and Hopkinsville.

Is Tennessee landlord friendly?

Yes. A tenant has 14 days after written notice to pay overdue rent, and a lease can waive that notice if the waiver is printed in 12-point bold type. Tennessee sets no cap on security deposits and bars local rent control. Clarksville has no rental registration program. The Kentucky side of the metro follows Kentucky law.

Sources and method

Reviewed October 2026 by Patrick Roach. Every market figure is paired with a national figure for the same period. Figures were current at review and will change. This page is research, not investment advice.

Keep reading

Show all 23 sources
  1. Zillow Research, ZORI single-family rent index, ZHVI single-family values, and value forecast, September 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
  2. BLS, Clarksville nonfarm employment Accessed 2026-11-13
  3. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 metro population estimates Accessed 2026-11-13
  4. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates Accessed 2026-11-13
  5. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey Accessed 2026-11-13
  6. Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, Defense Activity Report, February 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
  7. MTIDA, Clarksville-Montgomery County 2026 community data profile Accessed 2026-11-13
  8. Clarksville Online, Austin Peay enrollment, September 10, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  9. Clarksville Partnership, Korea Zinc investment, December 15, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  10. WSMV, T.RAD plant, December 10, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  11. Ascension, Clarksville hospital groundbreaking, June 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
  12. U.S. Army, 101st Airborne and USACE partner to modernize Campbell Army Airfield Accessed 2026-11-13
  13. Clarksville Now, Montgomery County 2026-27 budget Accessed 2026-11-13
  14. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 50-State Property Tax Comparison Study, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  15. Insurify, 2026 home insurance price projections Accessed 2026-11-13
  16. Tenn. Code 66-28-505, notice for nonpayment and lease waiver Accessed 2026-11-13
  17. Tenn. Code 66-35-102, local rent control prohibited Accessed 2026-11-13
  18. fedratecalc.com, 2026 housing allowance, Fort Campbell Accessed 2026-11-13
  19. FEMA, National Risk Index Accessed 2026-11-13
  20. TriStar Health, Clarksville hospital approval, July 24, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  21. Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Korea Zinc, December 15, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  22. Clarksville Now, Korea Zinc to buy Nyrstar and build smelter, December 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
  23. S&P Global, Korea Zinc launches Crucible Zinc, April 2, 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
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