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City · 8,860 residents · Hamilton County, Tennessee

Signal Mountain , Tennessee

In Signal Mountain, a typical home is worth $544,300. Compared with all of Hamilton County, typical household income is 85% higher, the typical home value is 74% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 24 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $544,300

    74% above the county

    90% above Tennessee

    • Signal Mountain
    • Hamilton
    • Tennessee

  • Typical household income

    $141,008a year

    85% above the county

    103% above Tennessee

    • Signal Mountain
    • Hamilton
    • Tennessee

  • Households that own their home

    88%

    24 points above the county

    21 points above Tennessee

    • Signal Mountain
    • Hamilton
    • Tennessee

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$626,720
1.7% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,312 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Signal Mountain is in Hamilton County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Hamilton County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Signal Mountain apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical household income in Signal Mountain is $141,008, 85% more than in Hamilton County as a whole ($76,183).

  2. The typical home in Signal Mountain is worth $544,300, 74% more than in Hamilton County as a whole ($312,800).

  3. Nearby, in East Ridge, the typical home value is $211,100: 61% less than in Signal Mountain ($544,300).

  4. 88% of households in Signal Mountain own their home, against 64% in Hamilton County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Signal Mountain

What homes there are in Signal Mountain, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in Signal Mountain: 90% of homes, more than in Hamilton County (68%).

Year built

The typical home in Signal Mountain was built in 1977, 5 years before the typical one in Hamilton County.

In Signal Mountain, 85% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, more than in Hamilton County (62%).

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,397 a month

Hamilton County: $1,608 a month

Without a mortgage

$757 a month

Hamilton County: $520 a month

Owners with a mortgage

56%

Hamilton County: 59%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Signal Mountain is $2,397 a month, more than in Hamilton County ($1,608); without one, $757.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Signal Mountain gained value more slowly than in Hamilton County: 57% since 2015–2019, against 73%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSignal MountainHamilton CountyTennesseeUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate4.0%6.1%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.2%0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.6%2.2%3.4%
People per household 2.592.382.452.53
Drive alone 70%74%76%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%1%3%
Work from home 26%14%13%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.59 on average, against 2.38 in Hamilton County.

In Signal Mountain, 26% of workers work from home, more than in Hamilton County (14%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Signal Mountain?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Signal Mountain, worth $544,300, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 38% of the typical household income in Signal Mountain, which is $141,008 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $189,003 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Hamilton County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Signal Mountain. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $19,051 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$4,410

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$534,441
Total interest
$768,935
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $9,192 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $3,290 a month

  • Tight

    $3,290 to $4,230 a month

  • Hard

    more than $4,230 a month

    Your payment · 38%

Compared with the typical household income in Signal Mountain ($141,008 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,410
Principal & interest$3,620
Property tax$322
Home insurance$227
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$241

You need at least $19,051 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Signal Mountain and Hamilton County

Signal Mountain is in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Signal Mountain's own numbers

Typical home value
$544,300
Typical yearly household income
$141,008
Households that own their home
88%
Effective property tax rate
0.71%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Hamilton County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,340
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+63%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Hamilton County.

Everything about Hamilton County

Buying

Buying a home in Signal Mountain

A typical home in Signal Mountain is worth $544,300: 74% above the county and 90% above Tennessee. With the typical household income in Signal Mountain ($141,008 a year), a typical home costs 3.9 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Signal Mountain 3.9 years
  • Hamilton 4.1 years
  • Tennessee 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Hamilton County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Hamilton County rose 117% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Hamilton County.

Period County Tennessee U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.8% +2.4% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +63% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +117% +114% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Signal Mountain next to Hamilton County, Tennessee and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Signal Mountain $544,300
  • Hamilton $312,800
  • Tennessee $286,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical yearly household income
  • Signal Mountain $141,008
  • Hamilton $76,183
  • Tennessee $69,595
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Signal Mountain next to Hamilton County and Tennessee
Measure Signal Mountain Hamilton County Tennessee U.S.
Typical home value $544,300 $312,800 $286,700 $332,700
Typical yearly household income $141,008 $76,183 $69,595 $80,734
Households that own their home 88% 64% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,877 $1,925 $1,442 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.71% 0.62% 0.5% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 55% 45% 49% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Hamilton County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Signal Mountain

For a typical $544,300 home in Signal Mountain, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Signal Mountain's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,410a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $19,051
    Cash to close
    $35,380
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $241

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,310a month

    Down payment
    $27,215
    Cash to close
    $43,544
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $259

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,499a month

    Down payment
    $108,860
    Cash to close
    $125,189
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $4,002a month

    Down payment
    $81,645
    Cash to close
    $97,974
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Signal Mountain and for Hamilton County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Signal Mountain

0.71%of the home’s value each year

$3,877 a year for the typical owner in Signal Mountain.

  • Signal Mountain 0.71%
  • Hamilton 0.62%
  • Tennessee 0.5%

What Tennessee publishes Property tax relief for older, disabled and disabled-veteran homeowners (Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, 2026 Property Tax Relief Program brochure)

Exemptions and deadlines in Tennessee

Flood risk in Hamilton County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Hamilton County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.9%
3,789
Of those, with NFIP insurance
22%
County Tennessee U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.9% 1.6% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 22% 25% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Signal Mountain

The Census Bureau publishes no typical rent for Signal Mountain. Below are the fair market rents for Hamilton County. In Signal Mountain, 55% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Hamilton County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,340 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.77 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Hamilton County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,181 $22.71 $47,240
1 bedroom $1,231 $23.67 $49,240
2 bedrooms $1,340 $25.77 $53,600
3 bedrooms $1,657 $31.87 $66,280
4 bedrooms $1,761 $33.87 $70,440

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Signal Mountain

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Signal Mountain is in ZIP code 37377.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,480: $140 more than the fair market rent for Hamilton County ($1,340).

  • 37377 $1,480$1,830

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Signal Mountain when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Signal Mountain

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Hamilton County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A young man and a young woman look something up together on a laptop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Signal Mountain

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Signal Mountain or Hamilton County. The ones below are statewide in Tennessee: they work in Signal Mountain the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Tennessee

  • Great Choice Plus

    Statewide in Tennessee

    Tennessee state agency help with the down payment and closing costs alongside the Great Choice mortgage: $6,000 or $10,000 forgivable over 10 years with no payments, or up to 5% of the price (maximum $15,000) as a 30-year second mortgage. Offered by Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA).

    ForgivableRepayable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Signal Mountain

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Signal Mountain, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Inc.

    1500 Chestnut St Ste 102, Chattanooga · 7 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 2 more
    (423) 756-6201

  • CCCS of Rochester-Chattanooga

    5600 Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga · 12 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (423) 490-5620

  • City Fields

    1075 Blythe Ave SE, Cleveland · 26 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (423) 472-9876

Every agency in Hamilton County All counseling agencies in Tennessee

Help in Spanish near Signal Mountain

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Signal Mountain

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Hamilton County is named for Signal Mountain or Hamilton County.

One other authority has an office in Hamilton County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Hamilton County

These cities are also in Hamilton County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Hamilton County Housing in Tennessee

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Signal Mountain, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Hamilton County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Signal Mountain.

All guides
A family walks a boardwalk trail in the forest; one of them uses a wheelchair.

Questions

Housing questions about Signal Mountain

Short answers with the numbers for Signal Mountain and all of Hamilton County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Signal Mountain?

The typical home value in Signal Mountain is $544,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Hamilton County it is $312,800.

What is the FHA loan limit in Signal Mountain?

Signal Mountain uses the FHA limit for all of Hamilton County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Signal Mountain?

The typical homeowner in Signal Mountain pays $3,877 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.71% of the home’s value; in Hamilton County, the rate is 0.62%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Signal Mountain?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Hamilton County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).