Milligan students are seeking affordable off-campus housing as rising Tennessee real estate prices reshape the rental market.
Over the years, home values and rental rates in Tennessee have risen, particularly near college campuses. Local real estate professionals say increased demand for housing has driven up home prices.
“With higher priced homes, landlords must charge more for rentals in order to cover mortgages and keep a margin,” said Lauren Clemson, a local real estate agent of nine years. “With more people renting due to higher home prices, some of the rentals around college campuses are taken by nonstudents.”
According to Clemson, demand for rentals has increased as more people move to the area, driving up prices.
“After growing by fewer than 11,000 people between 2010 and 2021, the region has now grown by nearly 17,000 in just the past three years,” a WJHL report from April 2025 states.
For Milligan students, the impact could be concerning, as many upperclassmen will move to off-campus housing in fall 2026 due to renovations of Webb Hall.
Director of Residence Life and Production Services Chase McGlamery sent an email to all Milligan students on Jan. 11 outlining Webb Hall renovation adjustments. It stated, “Milligan will be making a few temporary adjustments during this time,” including “expanded off-campus eligibility for upper-class students.”
According to McGlamery, 644 Milligan undergraduates are living on campus as of Jan. 28.
“My roommates and I have been looking for something affordable between $500-$700 per person per month,” said sophomore Bobby Nichols. “Housing options are rather scarce due to the amount of students also looking to move off campus. We are worried that we may be left with nowhere nearby to live.”
According to Zillow Rentals, the average rent in Elizabethton is $1,411 and in Johnson City the average rent is $1,500. Clemson advises students to search for homes that can be shared with others to help offset high costs. Dividing the Zillow figure between two people would estimate the rent at about $705 and $750 respectively per person.
McGlamery explains that Milligan does not plan to provide financial aid to students moving off campus, though living off-campus could lower costs.
“Mathematically, depending on where the student wants to live and chooses to live, there is a possibility of it being cheaper,” said McGlamery.
Senior Alana Parsons has lived in an off-campus apartment for nearly two years. She lives about five minutes from campus, paying $1,445 in rent plus utilities each month. She shares the apartment with a roommate, paying roughly $800 per month plus an estimated $100 for utilities.
When asked whether housing is affordable for her, Parsons said, “Yes and no. It is hard to answer that because I did work three jobs to save money and be able to live here throughout the previous semesters. I believe it would be difficult for a single income household to afford the apartment I live in.”
Parsons said housing costs have added stress to her college experience as she worries about paying rent each month on top of her schoolwork.
Despite the challenges, demand for off-campus housing is expected to continue rising as Milligan adjusts its student housing policies. McGlamery said the policy changes may remain in place beyond the next academic year, leaving students competing for affordable housing.
“Right now, all of the changes we’ve announced are only for one year,” McGlamery said. “However, I think this is an opportunity to assess what is working well and what does not work well. I think it’s fair to assume that some things may not automatically revert back.”
Photo: Sunset in the front of Hart by: Danielle Roberts