Tennessee

Gas stations for sale in Tennessee.

No state income tax and three interstate-crossroads metros (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville) drive heavy truck-stop and travel-center deal flow. Cap rates 5.40-5.75%.

Tennessee runs on fuel volume. With no state income tax and 3 interstate-crossroads metros in Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, the state pulls heavy truck-stop and travel-center traffic that keeps deal flow steady for gas station and C-store buyers and sellers. Cap rates here sit in the 5.40 to 5.75 percent range, tighter than weaker Southeastern markets and a clear signal of investor demand. Gas Station Trader is a specialist gas station and C-store brokerage (Eagle Nest Property Group, Dallas TX) with 250 million dollars plus transacted. We handle buy, sell, sale-leaseback, and finance on fuel assets across Tennessee. Call 469.949.6467 to talk through your site, your fuel volume, and your number.

The Tennessee gas station and C-store market

The US has about 152,000 convenience stores and roughly 60 percent are single-store operators, a pattern that holds across Tennessee. The state sits in the heart of the Southeast, fed by I-40, I-24, I-65, I-75, and I-81, which is why truck-stop and travel-center deal flow is so heavy here. A busy urban station moves 100,000 to 150,000 gallons per month while the US average station does about 4,000 gallons per day, and Tennessee's interstate corridors push many sites toward the high end.

Brand mix runs from national majors to strong regional jobber-supplied independents. The inside store is where the money is. The C-store generates about 30 percent of revenue but roughly 70 percent of profit. See current listings on our buy page or read is owning a gas station profitable.

Buying a gas station in Tennessee

Pricing follows the deal structure. Business-only acquisitions trade at 2.5x to 4.0x EBITDA, combined business plus property runs 4.0x to 7.0x EBITDA, and deals including real estate land around 8x EBITDA, ranging 7x to 9x in premium markets. A small-to-medium Tennessee station often nets the owner about 70K to 100K dollars per year, scaling to 100K to 500K by site and volume.

Financing is the gating item. SBA 7(a) caps at 5 million dollars and special-purpose stations need a 15 percent minimum equity injection, commonly 10 to 15 percent down, with real estate terms up to 25 years and June 2026 rates roughly 9 to 11.5 percent APR variable. Plan for a Phase I ESA at 1,800 to 3,500 dollars. Start with how to buy a gas station and the valuation calculator.

Selling a gas station in Tennessee

Tennessee's no-income-tax appeal and interstate traffic give sellers a deep buyer pool, from owner-operators to NNN investors chasing tax-advantaged returns. Get your numbers clean first. Buyers and their lenders underwrite fuel volume, inside sales margins, and EBITDA, so document jobber contracts, MPD counts, and UST status before you go to market.

Sale timelines typically run 3 to 6 months, sometimes 6 to 12. Business broker commissions run 10 to 20 percent on business-only deals and about 6 to 10 percent on real-estate-inclusive deals. A clean Phase I and current environmental records keep SBA buyers in the deal and protect your closing. List with us through our sell page, and review how to sell a gas station and gas station broker fees before you sign anything.

Tennessee cap rates and values

Tennessee cap rates sit at 5.40 to 5.75 percent, inside the national average of about 5.6 percent and tighter than weaker markets like Mississippi at 6.0 to 6.5 percent and up. Cap rates compress with tenant credit. Wawa trades at 4.83 to 5.20 percent, 7-Eleven at 5.00 to 5.40 percent, Murphy USA around 5.13 percent, and Circle K at 5.35 to 5.65 percent.

Value tracks both rate and earnings. With combined deals at 4.0x to 7.0x EBITDA and real estate deals near 8x, small swings in fuel volume and inside margins move the number hard. 2025 fuel gross margins averaged 40 plus cents per gallon, but net fuel profit is only a few cents, so inside sales at 20 to 40 percent margins carry the valuation. Run scenarios with the cap rate calculator and read cap rates by state.

Tennessee metros and regions

Three metros anchor Tennessee deal flow. Nashville sits at the I-40, I-24, and I-65 junction, the strongest growth market and the tightest pricing in the state. Memphis, where I-40 meets I-55 on the Mississippi River, is a freight and logistics hub that drives truck-stop and travel-center volume. Knoxville, at the I-40 and I-75 crossroads near the Smokies, blends interstate traffic with steady tourist demand.

Beyond the metros, corridor sites along I-81 in the northeast and I-24 toward Chattanooga see real interest from both operators and NNN investors. Whatever the submarket, fuel volume and inside sales drive the value. To match a buyer or a site to the right corridor, call 469.949.6467 or start on our buy and sell pages.

Active deals

Stations & portfolios for sale

By metro

Gas stations for sale across Tennessee

FAQ

Buying & selling gas stations in Tennessee

Tennessee cap rates run 5.40 to 5.75 percent, inside the national average of about 5.6 percent and tighter than weaker markets like Mississippi at 6.0 to 6.5 percent and up. Strong credit tenants compress further, with Circle K around 5.35 to 5.65 percent and 7-Eleven at 5.00 to 5.40 percent. Nashville prices tightest of the 3 major metros. Run your own numbers with our cap rate calculator at /tools/cap-rate-calculator/.
It depends on what you are buying. Business-only deals trade at 2.5x to 4.0x EBITDA, combined business plus real estate runs 4.0x to 7.0x EBITDA, and full real estate deals land around 8x, ranging 7x to 9x in premium Tennessee submarkets like Nashville. Fuel volume and inside sales margins drive the multiple. See /guides/how-much-does-a-gas-station-cost/ and the valuation calculator at /tools/gas-station-valuation-calculator/.
Yes. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment under ASTM E1527-21 is required for SBA fuel deals, and it protects you against CERCLA liability tied to underground storage tanks. Expect 1,800 to 3,500 dollars, with gas stations at the high end. SBA 7(a) caps at 5 million dollars and special-purpose stations need a 15 percent minimum equity injection. Read /guides/phase-1-environmental-gas-station/ and /guides/sba-7a-loan-gas-station/.
Sale timelines typically run 3 to 6 months, sometimes 6 to 12 depending on financing and environmental review. Tennessee's no-income-tax draw and heavy interstate traffic across Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville give sellers a deep buyer pool, which helps. SBA closings take 30 to 90 days and conventional closings 30 to 60 days. To move faster, have clean financials, jobber contracts, and a current Phase I ready. List with us at /sell/.
Tennessee market depth

How we read Tennessee gas stations.

Tennessee combines music-tourism corridors, logistics, fast-growing suburbs, and strong interstate fuel demand. This section is written for owners, buyers, lenders, and investors comparing Tennessee opportunities against other states.

Primary regions

Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville are the reference markets we use when comparing pricing, traffic, and buyer depth across Tennessee.

Buyer fit

Operators like the state for growth and highway exposure, while passive investors prefer long-term branded net leases. We match the buyer pool to the asset before we set pricing, because a net-lease investor, SBA buyer, and jobber underwrite the same store differently.

Diligence watchlist
  • review TDEC tank files and any open corrective actions
  • separate tourism, logistics, military, and neighborhood revenue
  • model whether fuel volume or inside sales is the real profit driver

Gas Station Trader uses this Tennessee page as a hub for Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville. For a confidential read on a specific Tennessee gas station, start with a valuation or buyer brief and we will route it by metro, brand, real estate, fuel contract, and environmental profile.

Fuel and forecourt lens

Tennessee through the fuel retail underwriting lens.

This page is evaluated through the fuel site first: gallons, grade mix, margin after card fees, MPD count, canopy visibility, tank history, environmental risk, supplier economics, and the physical forecourt. For local fuel pages, the question is whether traffic, ingress, tanks, and brand presence convert into durable gallons.

MPD and canopy condition

Dispenser age, EMV status, hose condition, canopy lighting, signage, paving, and pump-island layout can create near-term capital needs after closing.

Supplier and jobber terms

The fuel supply agreement controls pricing, rebates, volume commitments, assignment rights, branding, and whether a buyer can actually step into the deal.

Fuel gallons by month

Ask for monthly gallons by grade and diesel, not one annual total. Seasonality, price competition, and grade mix can change the real margin story.

Wet-stock and tank records

Tank tightness, release history, monitoring, cathodic protection, spill buckets, and ATG reports belong in the first diligence package.

For gas station deals, the highest-value diligence usually lives in wet-stock reports, tank records, fuel invoices, supplier contracts, dispenser condition, canopy and lighting, traffic ingress, environmental reports, and fuel margin history. This market page is intentionally written for buyers, operators, lenders, and investors underwriting fuel volume and fuel real estate, so it should be evaluated on the specific commercial questions it answers, not only on broad national search terms.

Decision checklist

What makes Tennessee a real diligence page.

This market page is strongest when it helps a visitor decide what to do with a real fuel asset. The checklist below keeps the page tied to gas-station economics: gallons, tanks, supplier terms, forecourt condition, environmental records, card fees, and traffic conversion.

Ingress and traffic conversion proof

Ask for evidence. Traffic count only matters if drivers can see, enter, fuel, and exit easily. Median cuts, signalized corners, truck access, and competing corners must be mapped. For Tennessee, do not treat this as generic background; make it part of the buyer, seller, lender, or investor checklist.

Diesel and fleet demand proof

Ask for evidence. Diesel mix, fleet accounts, commercial routes, and truck access can materially change value, especially for highway and industrial-market assets. For Tennessee, do not treat this as generic background; make it part of the buyer, seller, lender, or investor checklist.

Environmental liability proof

Ask for evidence. Phase I findings, UST history, insurance, open incidents, and remediation obligations should be cleared before a lender or serious buyer relies on price. For Tennessee, do not treat this as generic background; make it part of the buyer, seller, lender, or investor checklist.

Fuel margin after fees proof

Ask for evidence. Gross margin is not enough. Card fees, freight, rebates, price wars, and discount programs decide how much fuel profit is real. For Tennessee, do not treat this as generic background; make it part of the buyer, seller, lender, or investor checklist.

MPD and canopy condition proof

Ask for evidence. Dispenser age, EMV status, hose condition, canopy lighting, signage, paving, and pump-island layout can create near-term capital needs after closing. For Tennessee, do not treat this as generic background; make it part of the buyer, seller, lender, or investor checklist.

For Gas Station Trader, the indexed value of the page should come from how well it answers the fuel-site question: what would a serious owner, buyer, lender, or broker verify before trusting the gallons and the real estate?

Tennessee market proof

Why Tennessee deserves its own diligence page.

Tennessee should be evaluated as a fuel-retail market, not just a map page. A serious state page needs traffic conversion, corner quality, gallons, tank and environmental expectations, supplier economics, diesel demand, and the lender questions that can slow a fuel-property closing.

Fuel margin after fees in Tennessee

Gross margin is not enough. Card fees, freight, rebates, price wars, and discount programs decide how much fuel profit is real. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Environmental liability in Tennessee

Phase I findings, UST history, insurance, open incidents, and remediation obligations should be cleared before a lender or serious buyer relies on price. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Diesel and fleet demand in Tennessee

Diesel mix, fleet accounts, commercial routes, and truck access can materially change value, especially for highway and industrial-market assets. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Ingress and traffic conversion in Tennessee

Traffic count only matters if drivers can see, enter, fuel, and exit easily. Median cuts, signalized corners, truck access, and competing corners must be mapped. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Wet-stock and tank records in Tennessee

Tank tightness, release history, monitoring, cathodic protection, spill buckets, and ATG reports belong in the first diligence package. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Fuel gallons by month in Tennessee

Ask for monthly gallons by grade and diesel, not one annual total. Seasonality, price competition, and grade mix can change the real margin story. Treat this as a local proof point for Tennessee, not boilerplate geography.

Lead qualification

What a serious Tennessee inquiry should include.

Gas Station Trader should turn Tennessee traffic into fuel-property leads with enough detail to underwrite the site, not just a name and phone number. A useful inquiry explains the fuel asset, the tank and supplier proof, and the decision timeline.

Fuel-site snapshot

Share whether this is a single station, portfolio, brand page, market search, guide question, or tool output. Include gallons, brand or supplier, MPD count, diesel mix, real estate versus leasehold, and tank ownership or responsibility.

Diligence proof

The strongest gas-station lead can provide monthly gallons, wet-stock records, supplier agreement, fuel invoices, card fees, tank and ATG records, Phase I material, environmental history, and forecourt capex notes.

Decision path

Clarify whether the goal is to buy, sell, value, refinance, or prepare for a 1031 or sale-leaseback. Include price range, financing capacity, timing, geography, and any supplier or environmental constraints.

For this market page, a high-quality lead is one where the fuel economics, tank/supplier risk, and next action are clear enough for a broker or principal to respond intelligently.

Institutional guidance

Before you act on Gas Stations for Sale in Tennessee, talk with a sector broker.

Gas Station Trader is built to turn market interest into a real next step: valuation, buyer match, lending path, diligence package, or confidential sale strategy. Eagle Nest Property Group works across owners, operators, 1031 buyers, and private capital in fuel retail.

Confidential valuation Qualified buyer routing Deal and diligence support
Get started

Buying or selling in Tennessee? Let's talk.

Whether you are acquiring your first store in Tennessee or exiting a portfolio, we know the Tennessee market and the buyers in it.

469.949.6467

Confidential. We never share your information.

Confidential Valuation Browse Deals