1st Advantage MortgageClarksville is a TN market where the rent-to-payment ratio decides the loan. Median rent is $1,307, median home value is $263,600 and 44% of households rent.
Clarksville rents, values and tenants
Renters who pay cash rent in Clarksville have a median gross rent of $1,307 a month, about 10% above the Tennessee median of $1,189, while owner-occupied homes carry a median value of $263,600. The gross rent-to-value ratio for Clarksville works out to 5.9% (twelve months of median rent divided by median value), neither especially thin nor especially rich. The figure combines all rental types with all owner-occupied homes, so it is a screening number and not an appraisal.
| Indicator | Tennessee | Clarksville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual property tax bill, median | $1,442 | $1,659 | +15% |
| Household income, median | $69,595 | $69,303 | -0% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $286,700 | $263,600 | -8% |
| Typical monthly rent | $1,189 | $1,307 | +10% |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 5.6% | 10.8% | +95% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 15.2% | 19.2% | +26% |
| Degree holders, age 25+ | 31.1% | 29.9% | -4% |
| Workers on their own account | 9.8% | 7.6% | -22% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 48.8% | 47.7% | -2% |
| Units sitting vacant | 10.2% | 6.2% | -39% |
| Typical construction year | 1987 | 1997 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 5.0% | 5.9% | +20% |
| Households that rent | 33.1% | 44.4% | +34% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 0.50% | 0.63% | +25% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 7,066,383 | 176,456 |
Tenure in Clarksville is split fairly evenly: 44.4% renter-occupied and 56% owner-occupied, with the renter share well above the Tennessee median of 33%. Against a median household income of $69,303 (close to the Tennessee median of $69,595), 48% of renters report rent at or above 30 percent of income.
The kind of housing in Clarksville
Detached single-family homes make up 67% of the housing units in Clarksville, so most rentals here compete as houses, and rents follow neighborhood and school boundaries more than building type. A median construction date of 1997 points to growth-era housing, where HOA leasing limits and new-build rent comparables are the bigger questions.
The Census counts 6% of Clarksville housing units as vacant, with a rental vacancy figure of 5.4%.
Reading Clarksville as an investor
Clarksville's 5.9% yield is workable. Expect most single-family rentals to land near the lender's minimum ratio, so details like taxes after reassessment matter. Because homes here are relatively new, expect more subdivisions and associations than in older cities. Renters are 44% of households, which gives investors a real tenant base to market to.
What costs can do to a Clarksville ratio
In Clarksville the median tax bill for an owner-occupied home is $1,659, or about 0.63% of value (Tennessee overall: 0.50%). That bill is about 15% above the Tennessee median of $1,442. At the median rent that tax bill takes roughly 11% of a year's rent before insurance, dues or interest.
For hazards, FEMA's National Risk Index puts Montgomery County at a relatively moderate overall rating, and its top-ranked hazards are cold waves (relatively high), tornadoes (relatively high) and ice storms (relatively high).
| Hazard in Montgomery County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Lightning exposure | Relatively High |
| Ice storms exposure | Relatively High |
| Tornadoes exposure | Relatively High |
| Cold waves exposure | Relatively High |
| Social vulnerability score | Relatively Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Moderate |
| Composite risk | Relatively Moderate |
Flood risk in Clarksville is parcel by parcel: check the address on FEMA's flood map service, because a mapped high-risk zone means required flood cover and a heavier payment.
What the Clarksville medians allow
Try the math at the medians. With rent at $1,307 and taxes near $138 a month, a 1.00 DSCR leaves $1,169 for everything else in the payment, a 1.20 ratio leaves $951, and a 1.25 ratio leaves $907. Any real property will differ, but the exercise shows how little room insurance and dues can take.
Registration, deposits and nightly stays in Clarksville
Rental registration, inspection and nightly-stay rules differ by city, and we have not verified Clarksville's from a municipal source. A short call to the city and Montgomery County before you make an offer is cheap insurance. Guests who book by the night in Clarksville are taxed under state law as follows. Tennessee charges sales tax on short-term rentals and a local occupancy tax on stays of 30 consecutive days or fewer, and platforms such as Airbnb collect both on bookings they process, while owners still handle business tax and direct bookings.
For a Clarksville lease, the Tennessee deposit rule is No statutory cap (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 sets none), as set out in Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301. Expect to give 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date (10 days for week-to-week) of notice to end a month-to-month arrangement at a Clarksville rental. For Clarksville rent levels, note that No; local governments may not control rent (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-35-102).
Neighbors of Clarksville by the numbers
Prices in the comparison range from $172,100 in Hopkinsville to $705,400 in Franklin, with Clarksville at $263,600.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 36% | $3,011 | $705,400 | 87,133 | $1,923 |
| Hendersonville | 28% | $2,458 | $430,700 | 63,091 | $1,653 |
| Nashville | 48% | $2,472 | $413,600 | 690,130 | $1,586 |
| Hopkinsville | 53% | $1,128 | $172,100 | 30,906 | $902 |
| Clarksville | 44% | $1,659 | $263,600 | 176,456 | $1,307 |
Workforce and demand drivers in Clarksville
Roughly 7.6% of employed people in Clarksville are self-employed, a base of investors and landlords for whom a rent-based loan is a practical option. On the workforce side, government workers are about 19% of employment, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 19% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Campuses such as Austin Peay State University, Daymar Institute, Nashville State Community College and North Tennessee Bible Institute pull tenants into Clarksville, and landlords near them can plan around move-in seasons. For getting around, Clarksville has interstate access via I-24 and air service through Nashville International Airport, which matters to commuters and to out-of-town owners planning a visit.
Taking a Clarksville deal to a lender
Before you offer on a Clarksville property, test the ratio in the calculator, then apply now or request a DSCR quote.
More Tennessee markets
- All Tennessee DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Hopkinsville, KY
- DSCR loans in Nashville, TN
- DSCR loans in Hendersonville, TN
- DSCR loans in Franklin, TN
- Every market we cover
Where we checked
- Clarksville overview (Wikipedia)
- Tennessee security deposit statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301)
- Tennessee tax source: Tennessee short-term rental tax manual
- Lodging tax reference: Tennessee local occupancy tax
- American Community Survey tables, Tennessee
- FEMA hazard ratings for Montgomery County
All Clarksville statistics are ACS five-year survey estimates from 2020 to 2024. For Tennessee tenant law we used RedFlagLease under CC BY 4.0 plus the linked statutes. Our check date is October 2026, so look for newer Clarksville rules before you commit.
Before you make an offer
Before you commit on a Clarksville deal, confirm the rent with the lease or a market estimate, price the insurance for the exact address, and check how the taxes may change after the sale, so the ratio you run matches the one the lender calculates.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
Which rent counts when I finance a Clarksville property?
Expect to supply a lease, or let the appraiser's rent schedule stand in for one; the Clarksville median rent of $1,307 is context and not a substitute.
How is the DSCR figure built for a Clarksville property?
They count in full. A 1.25 ratio on $1,307 of rent permits a payment near $1,046, and median Clarksville taxes take about $138 of it each month.
What does Montgomery County charge in property tax, in practice?
The Census reports a median of $1,659 a year for Clarksville owners, about 0.63% of median value against 0.50% for Tennessee. The county reassesses after a sale, so ask the tax office for an estimate on your purchase price.
What about VRBO or Airbnb income on a Clarksville purchase?
Possible where lender guidelines allow it, subject to Clarksville and Montgomery County rules and to the building's association. Lenders usually average a year of bookings and discount the result.
What are the security deposit rules for a Tennessee landlord?
The cap is stated as follows: No statutory cap (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 sets none). Both come from Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301.
What does FEMA say about hazard risk near Clarksville?
The National Risk Index gives the county an overall relatively moderate rating. Use that as a prompt to get quotes, not as a verdict on one Clarksville street.
Should a Clarksville rental be bought in an LLC?
No, but it is common. Entity borrowers supply articles, an operating agreement and an EIN letter, and the owners typically guarantee the loan. A Tennessee attorney can advise on structure.