Where students live
Fort Sanders, immediately west of campus, is the historic student neighbourhood and where the cheapest confirmed per-bed rents are — The Standard and Highland Grand are both a walk away. The Cumberland Avenue strip was rebuilt over the last decade and now carries the newest and most expensive purpose-built buildings: Nova, Union and Hub all sit within a few hundred yards of each other. Downtown Knoxville, a mile and a half out, is where you go for a conventional apartment rather than a by-the-bed lease.
Read the price tags on Cumberland Avenue carefully. Nova, Union and Hub all present rates in formats that do not make clear whether the number is per bed or per apartment, and at least one of them advertises a four-bedroom unit at a price no whole four-bedroom rents for in this market. Fort Sanders is the opposite — The Standard and Highland Grand both state per-person pricing plainly, which is why the two cheapest confirmed numbers in Knoxville are both there.
Apartments & rentals students actually use
| Community | Distance | Units & rates | Furnished? | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Grand Fort Sanders, 112 S 17th St | 0.7 mi / 14-min walk | Studio to 6BR, $725-$1,050 per person; 217-600 sq ft per bedroom | Furnished available | Listed via apartments.com |
| The Standard at Knoxville Fort Sanders, 705 S 17th St | 5-min walk | 1BR to 5BR, $774-$949 per bed; 520-1,328 sq ft | Furnished | thestandardatknoxville.com |
| 16th Place Fort Sanders, Highland Ave | Fort Sanders core | Studio and 1BR from $880 per unit, ~300 sq ft | Not stated | Aggregator listings only |
| Nova Knoxville 2223 Cumberland Ave | Steps from campus | 2BR and 4BR, $1,020-$1,400; 817-1,506 sq ft — ask which basis | Fully furnished | novaknoxville.com |
| Union Knoxville 2136 Cumberland Ave | On the strip | Studio to 5BR, $1,200-$1,546; 434-1,636 sq ft — ask which basis | Not stated | unionknoxville.com |
| Hub Knoxville 1919 Cumberland Ave | 5-min walk | Studio to 5BR; rates gated behind a contact form | Not stated | hubknoxville.com |
| University Towers / 1700 Clinch Fort Sanders | 0.1 mi | Individually owned studio condos, ~$1,475 per unit | Varies by owner | Individual condo listings |
| City South Downtown-adjacent, City Vista Way | 1.3 mi | 1BR-2BR, $1,154-$2,128 per unit | Not stated | Aggregator listings only |
| Livano Knoxville South Waterfront, W Blount Ave | 1.4 mi | Studio to 3BR, $2,185-$4,290 per unit | Not stated | Not student-marketed |
Compiled from property sites and public listings, August 2026. Rates move every lease season and several properties here publish nothing at all — verify with the property before you sign.
Getting to campus without a car
Both systems are free. The T, the campus shuttle, runs 34 buses on 12 routes seven days a week, added a Downtown Loop in 2025, and lays on free airport shuttles at holidays if you register ahead. Since August 2024 KAT, the city bus network, has also been free to students, staff and faculty — show a physical or digital VolCard to the driver. That combination covers Fort Sanders, Cumberland and downtown without a car.
How it compares to a dorm
What you’ll need
Most rentals here come furnished — use the checklist’s furnished filter and focus on bedding, kitchen and bath.
Apartment checklist Apartment shop