SeatKnoxville
People511,453
Income cap, 3+$119,255
Price cap$500,000
Getting to know Knox County as a buyer
Knox County Schools covers the whole county, including Farragut, so one district rule applies whether you teach downtown or out west.
Knoxville Police, the Knox County Sheriff's Office and Knoxville Fire are the anchor public safety employers. Deputies, city officers and firefighters all fit the Heroes rule if they're currently employed in Tennessee.
Knox shares its income limit with Anderson, Blount and Loudon counties, so commuters weighing a home across those lines see the same number.
The caps in Knox County
| Cap for 1–2 people | Cap for 3 or more | Highest price allowed |
|---|
| $103,700 | $119,255 | $500,000 |
Knox County's limit is $103,700 for a household of 1-2 and $119,255 for 3 or more. Compare with every county's caps, or run your own budget.
More help that's specific to Knox County
Local programs like these can sometimes sit on top of the state program, or stand in for it. Each one has its own rules, so your loan officer will sort out which ones play nicely together.
City of Knoxville Downpayment Assistance Program
PausedCity of Knoxville
- For
- Buyers of homes developed by Home Source East Tennessee, Neighborhood Housing Inc., or East Tennessee Housing Development Corp.
- Income cap
- Household income below $55,650 (1) / $63,600 (2) / $71,550 (3) / $79,500 (4) / $85,900 (5) / $92,250 (6) / $98,600 (7) / $104,950 (8)
- Fine print
- Homebuyer education via Home Source East Tennessee, Knoxville Area Urban League or UT Extension
Page says applications are closed except for homes from the three listed nonprofit developers. Contact Kevin DuBose, (865) 215-2865.
Checked against the source November 2026 · how we check
Knoxville nonprofit affordable-home builders with buyer assistance
City of Knoxville
- For
- Low- and moderate-income buyers of homes these nonprofits build/renovate
- Fine print
- Buy one of the nonprofit's homes; ETHDC also offers coaching and DPA/closing-cost help
City lists these as the path to an affordable home; no amounts posted.
Checked against the source November 2026 · how we check
The full Tennessee program list
Homebuyer class options near Knox County
Plan on a homebuyer class; almost every assistance program makes you take one before the closing date. Here is who near Knox County is HUD-approved to teach it or sit down with you one on one:
| Agency | Office in | Miles away | Help offered | Spoken in | Ways to attend |
|---|
| Knoxville Area Urban League | Knoxville | 2 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English | Phone |
| Knox Housing Partnership, Incorporated Dba Homesource East Tennessee | Knoxville | 2 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English, Spanish | Face to Face, Phone, Internet |
| Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc | Rutledge | 31 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English | Phone |
Pulled from HUD's housing counseling agency list. Programs don't all accept the same classes.
Which class does your program want? Ask a loan officer who does Tennessee programs. They'll name the class that counts and can get your pre-approval going at the same time.
See if I qualify
Who in Knox County can use it
A few of the local employers whose people qualify:
- Knox County Schools
- Knoxville Police Department
- Knox County Sheriff's Office
- Knoxville Fire Department
Officers with KPD or KCSO who are also veterans can skip the first-time buyer rule. All the jobs that count
Questions folks ask about Knox County
What's the Knoxville income limit?
$103,700 (1-2 people) and $119,255 (3+).
Does Farragut have a different limit?
No. Farragut is in Knox County and uses the same limit.
Can a Knox County deputy qualify?
Yes. Local law enforcement officers currently employed in Tennessee qualify.
Nearby and elsewhere: Shelby County · Davidson County · Hamilton County · Rutherford County · Williamson County · Montgomery County · Sumner County · Wilson County · Every county
