COUNTY
Knox County
Tennessee · 511,453 residents (2025 est.) · 508 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
Part of the Knoxville metro area
Notable rankings
#146Largest by populationof 3,144511,453The short version
Knox County is home to 494,148 people in Tennessee. Few US counties rank higher on income. 112,116 more people live here than in 2000. The foreign-born share is 6%. About 41% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Density works out to 972 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $74,222, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Knox County
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$152,164 → $320,900 (+111%)US over the same years: +67%
- White share89.5% → 79.1% (−10.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Among the 95 counties in Tennessee
- 15th in household income$74,222
- 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree41.0%
- 12th in home value$320,900
- 21st in diversity score45.2
Section 01
Population & growth
494,148
+29%since 2000
from 382,032 in 2000
511,453 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
508 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024494K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(26,966)
5 to 95.7%(28,199)
10 to 146%(29,867)
15 to 196.9%(34,130)
20 to 248.7%(43,163)
25 to 3413.9%(68,817)
35 to 4412.9%(63,815)
45 to 5412%(59,440)
55 to 6412%(59,359)
65 to 749.7%(48,174)
75 to 844.8%(23,728)
85 and over1.7%(8,490)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$74,222
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,454 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
49.5%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.2%
Retail trade8.3%
Wholesale trade7.2%
Other services7.1%
Public administration5.2%
Finance & insurance5%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
Education & health services1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
Construction0.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$320,900
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.3
+36%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
74
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic87.4%(333,993)
Black8.6%(32,788)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(4,803)
Asian1.3%(4,909)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic79.1%(390,789)
Black8%(39,459)
Hispanic / Latino6.3%(31,276)
Asian2.3%(11,413)
Other4.3%(21,211)
45
+40%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
28
−19%since 2020
from 35 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.9%(14,572)
Central American1.5%(7,281)
Guatemalan0.8%(3,961)
South American0.6%(2,737)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,675)
Honduran0.3%(1,709)
Colombian0.2%(1,123)
Cuban0.2%(936)
Venezuelan0.1%(704)
Spaniard0.1%(637)
Panamanian0.1%(522)
Salvadoran0.1%(457)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(443)
Dominican0.1%(357)
Argentine0.1%(357)
Ecuadorian0%(157)
Peruvian0%(151)
Chilean0%(137)
Bolivian0%(70)
Costa Rican0%(65)
Uruguayan0%(31)
Paraguayan0%(7)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.7%(3,538)
Chinese0.6%(2,889)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,184)
Korean0.2%(1,138)
Filipino0.2%(938)
Japanese0.1%(334)
Pakistani0%(176)
Laotian0%(162)
Taiwanese0%(158)
Nepalese0%(133)
Bangladeshi0%(122)
Thai0%(105)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
English14.7%(72,451)
American13.1%(64,747)
German11.1%(55,065)
Irish10%(49,646)
Scotch-Irish2.8%(13,770)
Scottish2.8%(13,752)
Italian2.7%(13,576)
French1.5%(7,456)
Polish1.4%(6,980)
Subsaharan African1.1%(5,500)
Dutch1%(4,843)
Arab0.8%(3,771)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.7%(3,613)
Swedish0.6%(2,815)
British0.5%(2,609)
Norwegian0.5%(2,369)
Russian0.4%(2,136)
Greek0.3%(1,415)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,400)
French Canadian0.3%(1,260)
Swiss0.2%(1,218)
Hungarian0.2%(1,205)
Lebanese0.2%(988)
Danish0.2%(887)
Czech0.2%(869)
Iranian0.2%(859)
Palestinian0.1%(654)
West Indian0.1%(622)
Nigerian0.1%(532)
Austrian0.1%(514)
Iraqi0.1%(504)
Portuguese0.1%(480)
Canadian0.1%(456)
Slovak0.1%(416)
Romanian0.1%(399)
Brazilian0.1%(362)
Lithuanian0.1%(309)
Egyptian0.1%(301)
Ethiopian0.1%(290)
Finnish0.1%(279)
Kenyan0.1%(278)
Ghanaian0%(219)
Jordanian0%(207)
Guyanese0%(198)
Moroccan0%(190)
Turkish0%(190)
Croatian0%(172)
Armenian0%(163)
Slovene0%(157)
Haitian0%(148)
Jamaican0%(142)
Syrian0%(123)
Belgian0%(90)
Macedonian0%(64)
Bulgarian0%(62)
Australian0%(23)
Israeli0%(23)
Somali0%(22)
Serbian0%(20)
Latvian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.4%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 82.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.5%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.4%(72,137)
Married50.9%(100,989)
Widowed2.5%(5,027)
Divorced10.2%(20,182)
Women 15+
Never married31.5%(66,468)
Married47.8%(100,650)
Widowed8.4%(17,658)
Divorced12.3%(26,005)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 73.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)24%(6,289)
Gulf War (1990s)24.6%(6,451)
Vietnam era35.1%(9,205)
Korean War3.9%(1,021)
World War II0.8%(220)
Share of the 26,234 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
Knox County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 335,749 | $62,426 | $152,164 | 23.9% | 24.0 |
| 2000 | 382,032 | $68,228 | $174,332 | 29.0% | 28.5 |
| 2010 | 432,226 | $67,266 | $219,094 | 33.8% | 35.9 |
| 2020 | 478,971 | $71,813 | $235,378 | 38.8% | 47.4 |
| 2024 | 494,148 | $74,222 | $320,900 | 41.0% | 45.2 |
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.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Knox County
Lake County
Pop 504,612
Osceola County
Pop 481,718
Summit County
Pop 538,376
Tulare County
Pop 485,146
Places similar to Knox CountyHead to head
Compare Knox County to nearby counties
KNOX COUNTY VS
Anderson County
Income$66,183−11%
Home value$239,400−25%
Population82,066−84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOX COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$62,727−15%
Home value$204,000−36%
Population21,450−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOX COUNTY VS
Blount County
Income$77,365+4%
Home value$320,500same
Population143,820−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOX COUNTY VS
Sevier County
Income$62,581−16%
Home value$299,000−7%
Population101,342−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Knox County, Tennessee?
Knox County, Tennessee has about 494,148 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Knox County, Tennessee?
The typical household in Knox County, Tennessee earns about $74,222 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Knox County, Tennessee expensive?
In Knox County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $320,900, and the typical rent is about $1,261 a month.
How educated are people in Knox County, Tennessee?
About 41.0% of adults age 25 and over in Knox County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Knox County, Tennessee?
About 12.2% of people in Knox County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Knox County, Tennessee grown since 1990?
Yes, Knox County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 158,399 residents, a change of about 47 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
121 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 46.06Census Tract 51Census Tract 58.13Census Tract 57.04Census Tract 61.04Census Tract 59.07Census Tract 49Census Tract 62.06Census Tract 60.02Census Tract 46.07Census Tract 57.11Census Tract 59.12Census Tract 46.13Census Tract 60.03Census Tract 58.08Census Tract 59.08Census Tract 48Census Tract 61.02Census Tract 62.05Census Tract 44.0323 ZIP codes
ZIP 37918ZIP 37920ZIP 37922ZIP 37931ZIP 37919ZIP 37923ZIP 37849ZIP 37921ZIP 37934ZIP 37932ZIP 37917ZIP 37912ZIP 37914ZIP 37938ZIP 37909ZIP 37916ZIP 37924ZIP 37721ZIP 37871ZIP 37915ZIP 37806ZIP 37902ZIP 37929Up the hierarchy
All counties in TennesseeDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024