How many subsidized housing units are available in Tennessee?
Refreshed annually
In 2025, about 106,500 subsidized housing units were available in Tennessee. Approximately 14% of these were unoccupied and available to rent. Federally subsidized rental housing began with 1937’s US Housing Act, which created the United States Housing Authority and provided financial assistance to state and local governments for housing low-income people. Since then, the government has provided housing assistance to low-income renters through programs overseen by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
In 2025
106K
subsidized housing units existed in Tennessee
In 2025
14.9K
subsidized housing units were unoccupied and available to rent
In 2025
14%
of all subsidized housing units were available to rent
The number of available subsidized housing units varies throughout Tennessee. Administered by local public housing authorities (PHAs), availability is shaped by local policy and factors like geography (e.g., urban vs. rural vs. suburban), need, and more.
In 2025, Lake County had the most subsidized housing units per 10K people.
Subsidized housing units per 10,000 people (2025)
What types of subsidized housing are available in Tennessee?
Subsidized housing can take different forms — from high-rise buildings to garden-style apartments to single-family dwellings, duplexes, and more — but all are accessed via eight different housing assistance programs under HUD. These are classified as either public housing; tenant-based programs; or privately-owned, project-based housing.
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Tenant-based programs — known today as the Housing Choice Voucher program — are the most common form of housing assistance. Housing vouchers allow recipients to choose their own housing in the private market, provided it meets program requirements. Nationally, tenant-based programs account for approximately 55% of the subsidized housing stock. In Tennessee, tenant-based programs account for 40% of the subsidized housing stock.
Privately-owned, project-based programs provide subsidized housing in larger, multifamily housing developments through agreements between landlords and HUD, and account for 44% of all subsidized housing in Tennessee.
Privately-owned, project-based was the most common type of housing program in 2025.
Share of subsidized housing units in Tennessee, by program (2025)
The remainder of subsidized units — 17% of the total — are public housing, where units are built and managed by local housing agencies.
Subsidized housing units per 10,000 people (2025)
| 1. | Lake County, TN | 464 |
| 2. | Madison County, TN | 318 |
| 3. | Haywood County, TN | 266 |
| 4. | Dickson County, TN | 253 |
| 5. | Davidson County, TN | 246 |
| 6. | Campbell County, TN | 231 |
| 7. | Dyer County, TN | 229 |
| 8. | Obion County, TN | 224 |
| 9. | Knox County, TN | 217 |
| 10. | Lauderdale County, TN | 213 |
How Can the Government Help with Affordable Housing?
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
