Knoxville is a city of 195,185 people in Tennessee. Owners hold 47% of the housing stock. The median age is 33.5, younger than the US median of 38.9. 20.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Density works out to 1,977 people per square mile. That trails the Tennessee median by roughly 22%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,039, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Knoxville
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$119,523 → $239,700(+101%)US over the same years: +67%
White share82.5% → 70.5%(−12.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Knoxville's population equals 39% of Knox County's. Its number of households without a car equals 74% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 65% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.4%(1,706)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(1,854)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.8%(2,790)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.2%(369)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(79)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 8,773 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Knoxville, decade by decade
Knoxville population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
165,121
$47,817
$119,523
21.7%
36.9
2000
173,890
$50,081
$141,725
24.6%
43.7
2010
178,874
$47,122
$160,401
29.0%
52.3
2020
190,740
$50,418
$172,958
33.5%
62.8
2024
195,185
$54,039
$239,700
34.6%
58.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
