Disposal pricing in Tennessee sits below the national pattern most investors and developers expect, but the spread between the cheapest and most expensive facilities is wide enough to reshape a deal model. Understanding what Tennessee landfill tipping fees actually look like at the facility level, not just as a state average, is the difference between a defensible projection and a guess.
How much does it cost to dump waste in Tennessee?
The average municipal solid waste landfill tipping fee in Tennessee is approximately $51 per ton, based on Wastenaut’s facility fee records with the most recent data from 2024. The median sits at the same $51 per ton mark, with a typical range running from $40 to $62 per ton across recorded facilities.
This figure draws from a small sample of two facility fee records, so it should be treated as directional rather than definitive. Tennessee’s per-ton cost falls below what most Northeastern and non-contiguous states charge, consistent with the broader pricing patterns across the Southeast. For anyone modeling disposal economics in the state, these numbers provide a starting reference, but facility-level verification matters far more than any single average.
Tennessee tipping fee at a glance
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average | $51/ton |
| Median | $51/ton |
| Low | $40/ton |
| High | $62/ton |
| Facility fee records | 2 |
| Most recent data | 2024 |
This table reflects actual facility fee records collected by Wastenaut. The average and median converging at $51 per ton is a function of the small sample size. The $22 spread between the low and high ends signals meaningful variation even within a limited dataset.
For investors or developers building pro formas around Tennessee disposal costs, these figures offer a grounded starting point. They are not modeled estimates or survey responses. They come from recorded facility pricing.
What drives Tennessee’s tipping fees
Several structural factors keep Tennessee’s disposal costs in the lower portion of the national range.
Land availability is the most obvious. Tennessee has significant rural acreage suitable for permitted landfill development, which keeps siting costs lower than in densely built states. Abundant permitted capacity means facilities compete for volume, and that competition holds gate rates down. States with constrained capacity, like those in the Northeast or along the Pacific coast, consistently show tipping fees two to three times higher than what Tennessee facilities charge.
Population density plays a related role. Tennessee’s population concentrates in a handful of metro areas: Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga. Between those corridors, lower density means less waste generation per square mile, which affects the economics of collection and transport. Haul distances from rural transfer stations to regional landfills add cost, but the base disposal fee at the landfill itself remains moderate.
State-level regulation and disposal taxes also shape pricing. Tennessee’s regulatory framework for solid waste does not impose the heavy surcharges or per-ton fees that states like Pennsylvania or New York layer onto disposal. This keeps the effective cost to haulers and generators lower at the gate.
Competition among facilities is the final driver worth noting. Where multiple landfills serve overlapping service areas, pricing pressure keeps fees from climbing. In sub-markets with a single dominant facility, that pressure disappears, and the $40-to-$62 spread in the data likely reflects exactly this dynamic.
Compared to the rough national pattern, Tennessee tracks with other Southern and Plains states where land, capacity, and regulatory costs are all relatively low. Northeastern states and non-contiguous markets like Hawaii and Alaska sit at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Why one tipping-fee number is dangerous in a deal model
The $40-to-$62 per ton spread in Tennessee tells a story that a single average never will. A developer modeling a transfer station on the low end of that range faces entirely different unit economics than one building around the high end. The gap is more than 50 percent. In a capital-intensive waste infrastructure deal, that kind of variance in a load-bearing assumption can distort projected revenues, payback periods, and returns by a wide margin.
Most deal models pull a tipping-fee assumption from an industry report, a state average, or a developer’s own projection. The problem is that none of those sources reflect the specific facility, sub-market, or contract structure that actually drives revenue. Disposal pricing varies by facility type: a landfill charges differently than a transfer station. It varies by material: clean MSW versus construction and demolition debris versus special waste. It varies by whether the rate is a spot gate price or a long-term contract rate negotiated with a municipality.
A state average of $51 per ton is useful as a benchmark. It is not useful as an input to a financial model. The tipping-fee assumption is the single projection most likely to be wrong and most consequential when it is. Verify any claim before you commit. The data is everywhere, and nowhere, until someone connects it to the specific geography and facility that matters to your deal.
Verify the Tennessee disposal economics behind your next deal
Wastenaut’s Validate use case exists for exactly this problem. It stress-tests the load-bearing projections in a waste deal, including disposal-cost assumptions, against independent facility records the seller does not control. The output is the kind of sourced, cited artifact an investment committee will accept.
Rather than relying on a single state average, Wastenaut maps facility-level fees across Tennessee, connecting pricing to specific locations, material types, and market conditions. For scoping a new market before committing capital, Survey provides the initial read on what a geography actually looks like.
If you are evaluating a Tennessee waste asset or planning a new facility, get started.
Tennessee tipping fee FAQ
What is the average tipping fee in Tennessee? The average landfill tipping fee in Tennessee is $51 per ton, based on Wastenaut’s facility fee records with the most recent data from 2024. This figure is drawn from a small sample and should be treated as directional.
How much does it cost to dump a ton of trash in Tennessee? Disposing of one ton of municipal solid waste at a Tennessee landfill costs between $40 and $62 per ton, with an average of $51 per ton as of 2024 data. Actual costs depend on the specific facility, material type, and contract terms.
What is the range of landfill fees in Tennessee? Tennessee landfill tipping fees range from $40 per ton at the low end to $62 per ton at the high end. The $22 spread reflects differences in facility competition, location, and accepted materials.
Are Tennessee landfill fees above or below the national average? Tennessee’s average of $51 per ton falls below the fees charged in most Northeastern and non-contiguous states, consistent with broader pricing patterns across the Southeast and Plains regions where land availability and capacity keep disposal costs lower.