Rutherford County, TN

Rutherford County presents an underwriting tension: a measurable rent stream and modest gross yield sit beside a loosening visible listing market and inland-flood exposure. It merits investigation by operators able to verify property-level flood and operating costs; buyers reliant on quick resale or thin reserves should be cautious. Zillow’s county and Realtor inventory observations are labeled 2026-06, whereas FHFA and QCEW annual records are labeled 2025; these are not one common interval.

Zillow’s median home value is $420,064, down 0.53% year over year. Published median asking rent is $1,724 monthly; at that pairing, reported gross yield is 4.92% before costs. This is measured market rent. HUD two-bedroom FMR is instead a payment standard and cannot be used as an asking-rent estimate or substituted in yield. The 0.48% effective property-tax rate adds a known recurring carrying-cost input, but insurance, HOA, maintenance, and financing costs are not published, preventing a net-yield conclusion.

Realtor.com MLS evidence shows active listings increased 9.23%, median marketing time reached 50 days, and 19.49% of listings had price reductions. Those are asking-market supply, marketing-time, and concession signals, not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand. Net tax-return migration was 1,075 households, and in-movers reported higher average income than out-movers; this identifies an income difference among movers but does not show household tenure or housing demand by segment. Non-occupant purchase mortgages represented 7.29% of 5,408 reported purchases, indicating participation without a dominant buyer share.

FHFA’s repeat-transaction HPI rose 0.02% over its annual measure; it is an appreciation index, not a home value, and its direction is not merged with Zillow’s later value change. QCEW annual average covered workplace employment fell 1.13%; this is neither resident employment nor unemployment. Modeled annual building-value loss is 0.14%, consistent with inland flood as the dominant hazard, but it does not replace parcel flood-zone, elevation, insurance, and claims review. Missing closed-sale comps, submarket vacancy, insurance quotes, and property-level condition prevent a resale, occupancy, or net-cash-flow conclusion.