Last updated: October 7, 2026
If you’re watching the Upper Cumberland housing market — whether you’re a local homeowner, an out-of-state buyer scouting the plateau, or an investor running the numbers — here’s what the Fentress County market looks like heading into fall 2026. The short version: values are still climbing, inventory is creeping up, and buyers have more negotiating room than they did a year ago.
Fentress County at a glance (August 2026)
- Average home value: $249,713 — up 3.1% year over year
- Median list price: $372,995 — up 7.4% over the last three months (list prices are running well ahead of sale prices)
- 239 homes for sale across the county, with ~45 new listings hitting the market each month
- 59 days median time from listing to pending
- Only 0.2% of listings have had a price cut — sellers are holding firm
- Homes are closing at an average of ~45% below original asking price, so there is real room to negotiate
How each ZIP is trending
| Area | Average Home Value | 1-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Grimsley (38565) | $305,106 | ▲ 3.7% |
| Clarkrange (38553) | $275,122 | ▲ 4.7% |
| Allardt (38504) | $273,126 | ▲ 3.5% |
| Jamestown (38556) | $236,174 | ▲ 2.8% |
| Wilder (38589) | $235,687 | ▼ 2.0% |
Clarkrange keeps leading the county, and the Grimsley area continues to carry the highest average values on the strength of lake-area and recreational properties. Wilder is the one pocket that cooled — worth watching for a value opportunity.
Crossville / Cumberland County keeps climbing
Just over the county line, Cumberland County’s median sale price hit $349K, up 10.8% year over year. That spillover demand — buyers priced out of Crossville and Cookeville looking west and north — is a big part of why Fentress inventory keeps moving.
The land market is the real story
Tennessee farmland and rural land values rose 7.7% in 2025 — second in the nation. In Fentress County, forested tracts near the Big South Fork still trade in the $2,500–$5,000 per acre range for recreational and homesite parcels, a fraction of what similar land runs in Middle Tennessee.
We’re still seeing the same pattern from last year: out-of-state buyers — remote workers, early retirees, and investors from California, Florida, Colorado and the Northeast — moving on recreational and buildable parcels quickly, especially within 15 minutes of Big South Fork trailheads and along the Twin Lakes Fiber service area.
What this means for you
If you’re buying
Interest rates are still in the mid-6% range, so financing costs more than it did a few years ago — but sellers in Fentress County are pricing optimistically and negotiating. Most homes close below asking. That’s leverage.
If you’re selling
Values are up 3%+ year over year and inventory is still tight in the hottest ZIPs. Proper pricing and professional marketing still matter — homes priced right are going under contract in two months or less, while overpriced properties sit.
Bottom line
Fentress County remains one of the most affordable slices of the Tennessee plateau, with steady appreciation, real demand from out-of-state buyers, and the Big South Fork right in our backyard. It’s a balanced-to-seller-friendly market with genuine buyer leverage — if you know the numbers before you go in.
Want the numbers for your property or neighborhood? Get a free market analysis from the Team Denehy team — no strings, just the data.
Data sources: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), public listing and sold data via our MLS, as of August 2026. Figures are county medians and averages; individual properties vary. This is a market overview, not an appraisal.