Central, TN housing market
The median sale price was $275,000 in March 2026.
Home values, sales, trends and how Central compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Central at a glance
Only 3 sales in March 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value above is the steadier guide.
Home prices up 69% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Central rose 69% over the past 5 years, faster than across Tennessee (60%). Last year prices rose 4.3%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Central home at roughly $291,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | Tennessee since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +4.3% | +176% | +186% |
| 2024 | +2.5% | +165% | +180% |
| 2023 | +15% | +158% | +167% |
| 2022 | +22% | +124% | +149% |
| 2021 | +12% | +83% | +105% |
| 2020 | +6% | +63% | +80% |
| 2019 | +6.9% | +54% | +72% |
| 2018 | +2.2% | +44% | +63% |
| 2017 | +2.7% | +41% | +52% |
| 2016 | −0.3% | +37% | +42% |
| 2015 | +5.7% | +38% | +34% |
| 2014 | −0.7% | +30% | +28% |
| 2013 | +0.3% | +31% | +23% |
| 2012 | −0.6% | +31% | +21% |
| 2011 | −2.4% | +31% | +23% |
| 2010 | −0.9% | +35% | +26% |
| 2009 | −1.4% | +36% | +30% |
| 2008 | +2% | +38% | +34% |
| 2007 | +3.1% | +35% | +33% |
| 2006 | +8% | +31% | +28% |
| 2005 | +6.9% | +21% | +20% |
| 2004 | +3.9% | +14% | +12% |
| 2003 | +2.9% | +9.3% | +8.2% |
| 2002 | +3.3% | +6.3% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | +2.9% | +2.9% | +3.8% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP code 37601, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
Central and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | — | +4.3%† | $1,200 | — | $37,444 |
| Elizabethton | $234K | −0.7% | $1,030 | 31 | $46,975 |
| Johnson City | $295K | +1.3% | $1,240 | 350 | $57,254 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
4.1 years of income
The typical Central home costs about 4.1 years of the town's median household income, less than across Tennessee (4.8 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Central is $1,200 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Central pay a median of $952, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 38% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $940 · 4 bedrooms $1,640
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (37601; Johnson City, TN MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, March 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.