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CITY

Knoxville

Tennessee · 202,021 residents (2025 est.) · 98.732 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#125Largest by populationof 4,896202,021
The short version

Knoxville has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $54,039. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $239,700. At a median age of 33.5, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. The poverty rate of 20.2% is well above the national figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
195,185
+12%since 2000
from 173,890 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,977 / sq mi
+7%since 2009
from 1,854 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.5
Unchangedsince 2000
from 33.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:202,021 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
162K171K180K189K198K1990201020202024Knoxville
2024195K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(9,862)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(9,636)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.7%(9,115)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.9%(15,411)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413.5%(26,432)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.2%(31,569)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(24,881)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.9%(19,291)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.7%(20,868)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(16,645)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(8,127)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(3,348)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,039
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,492 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$35,408
+95%since 2000
from $18,171 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.5%
+19.7 ptssince 2009
from 15.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.490
−1%since 2010
from 0.495 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$239,700
+69%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,191
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $467 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.6%
−4.5 ptssince 2000
from 51.2% in 2000
53.4% rent
Vacancy rate
10.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
21.1%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.3%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
+32%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
67
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Knoxville on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79%(137,336)
Black16.1%(28,015)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(2,751)
Asian1.4%(2,516)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic70.5%(137,641)
Black15.6%(30,545)
Hispanic / Latino7.7%(14,963)
Asian1.6%(3,088)
Other4.6%(8,948)
Diversity Score
59
+29%since 2009
from 46 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.2%(6,241)
Central American2.3%(4,553)
Guatemalan1.2%(2,386)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,343)
South American0.7%(1,317)
Honduran0.6%(1,268)
Venezuelan0.3%(492)
Nicaraguan0.2%(443)
Salvadoran0.2%(342)
Spaniard0.2%(323)
Cuban0.2%(312)
Argentine0.2%(295)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(268)
Dominican0.1%(154)
Peruvian0.1%(137)
Panamanian0.1%(101)
Uruguayan0%(31)
Chilean0%(29)
Bolivian0%(22)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(833)
Asian Indian0.4%(736)
Filipino0.1%(260)
Vietnamese0.1%(200)
Korean0.1%(184)
Japanese0.1%(134)
Nepalese0.1%(123)
Bangladeshi0.1%(122)
Thai0.1%(102)
Laotian0%(70)
Malaysian0%(29)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(11)
Chamorro0%(10)
Guamanian0%(10)
Ancestry
American13.8%(26,906)
English12.3%(24,002)
German9.6%(18,714)
Irish9.2%(18,022)
Scottish2.8%(5,548)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(5,216)
Italian2.5%(4,977)
Polish1.5%(2,971)
French1.4%(2,649)
Dutch1.1%(2,124)
Welsh0.8%(1,471)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.7%(1,386)
Swedish0.7%(1,297)
Russian0.6%(1,148)
Norwegian0.5%(1,051)
British0.5%(987)
Greek0.5%(961)
Hungarian0.3%(667)
Ukrainian0.3%(500)
Swiss0.2%(414)
West Indian0.2%(404)
Danish0.2%(299)
Iraqi0.1%(285)
Czech0.1%(263)
Iranian0.1%(235)
Lebanese0.1%(226)
Canadian0.1%(200)
Guyanese0.1%(198)
Nigerian0.1%(189)
Austrian0.1%(183)
Palestinian0.1%(160)
Portuguese0.1%(154)
Ethiopian0.1%(149)
Kenyan0.1%(146)
Haitian0.1%(140)
Jamaican0.1%(121)
Finnish0.1%(119)
Ghanaian0.1%(103)
Egyptian0.1%(98)
Syrian0%(86)
Brazilian0%(77)
Jordanian0%(75)
Romanian0%(65)
Croatian0%(57)
Armenian0%(47)
Bulgarian0%(43)
Slovak0%(36)
Belgian0%(31)
Slovene0%(22)
Somali0%(22)
Turkish0%(14)
Israeli0%(11)
Latvian0%(5)
Serbian0%(1)
RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.6%
+10.0 ptssince 2000
from 24.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.8%
+11.4 ptssince 2000
from 78.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.8%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.2 min
+63%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.1%
−8.9 ptssince 2009
from 82.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.2%
+10.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.7%
+3.2 ptssince 2011
from 61.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.6%
−24.3 ptssince 2009
from 64.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
Foreign born
7.2%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.5%
−41.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 13.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
11.6%
−74.9 ptssince 2013
from 86.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
85.0%
+13.1 ptssince 2017
from 71.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
90.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2016
from 92.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.5%
+1.8 ptssince 2016
from 3.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.7%(39,654)
Married35.9%(28,592)
Widowed2.6%(2,097)
Divorced11.8%(9,388)
Women 15+
Never married44.3%(38,473)
Married33%(28,667)
Widowed8.9%(7,729)
Divorced13.8%(11,972)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Explore

Neighborhoods in Knoxville

Fort SandersPark CitySouth KnoxvilleNeighborhoods in Knoxville
Drill deeper

Places similar to Knoxville

Augusta
Pop 201,999
Tallahassee
Pop 204,902
Columbus
Pop 202,171
Sunrise Manor
Pop 200,218
Places similar to Knoxville
Head to head

Compare Knoxville to nearby cities

KNOXVILLE VS
Powell
Income$82,434+53%
Home value$299,400+25%
Population13,739−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Halls
Income$90,933+68%
Home value$321,300+34%
Population10,272−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Alcoa
Income$65,714+22%
Home value$277,100+16%
Population13,689−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Seymour
Income$82,855+53%
Home value$308,100+29%
Population16,216−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Knoxville, Tennessee?

Knoxville, Tennessee has about 195,185 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Knoxville, Tennessee?

The typical household in Knoxville, Tennessee earns about $54,039 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Knoxville, Tennessee expensive?

In Knoxville, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $239,700, and the typical rent is about $1,191 a month.

How educated are people in Knoxville, Tennessee?

About 34.6% of adults age 25 and over in Knoxville, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Knoxville, Tennessee?

About 20.2% of people in Knoxville, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

Has Knoxville, Tennessee grown since 1990?

Yes, Knoxville, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 30,064 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Knoxville, Tennessee: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy