Knoxville, TN
Census place 4740000 · pop 195,185
Hosted the 1982 World's Fair, whose golden Sunsphere tower still defines the skyline.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
22.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
46.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
20.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$54,039 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
48 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
27.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
36.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,749/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
34.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$239,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.64% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Knoxville: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Knoxville, TN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Knoxville scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is poor mental health. Tennessee overall ranks #32 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Knoxville, TN expensive to live in?
- Knoxville has a median home value of $239,700 and typical rent around $1,749/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Knoxville, TN?
- Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (22.0%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Knoxville, TN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.8%) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Hosted the 1982 World's Fair, whose golden Sunsphere tower still defines the skyline.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.