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COUNTY

Knox County

Tennessee · 511,453 residents (2025 est.) · 508 sq mi
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Part of the Knoxville metro area
The 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
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
494,148
+29%since 2000
from 382,032 in 2000
511,453 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
972 / sq mi
+17%since 2009
from 833 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
37.4
+4%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
508 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
320K367K415K462K510K19902000201020202024Knox County
2024494K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(26,966)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(28,199)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146%(29,867)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.9%(34,130)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.7%(43,163)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.9%(68,817)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.9%(63,815)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(59,440)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412%(59,359)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.7%(48,174)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(23,728)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(8,490)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$74,222
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,454 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,351
+98%since 2000
from $21,875 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.5%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2000
from 12.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.480
+1%since 2010
from 0.475 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1%
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
$320,900
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,261
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $493 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
65.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 66.9% in 2000
34.8% rent
Vacancy rate
8.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.39 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.32 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.7%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.5%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.3
+36%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
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)
Diversity Score
45
+40%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
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)
Uruguayan0%(31)
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)
Thai0%(105)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(86)
Malaysian0%(52)
Cambodian0%(36)
Mien0%(6)
Burmese0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(149)
Guamanian0%(75)
Samoan0%(36)
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)
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)
Bulgarian0%(62)
Israeli0%(23)
Somali0%(22)
Serbian0%(20)
Latvian0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
41.0%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 29.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.4%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 82.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.2%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.2 min
+64%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.8%
−8.6 ptssince 2009
from 84.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.4%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 6.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2011
from 65.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
45.1%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
Female
51.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
Foreign born
6.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.7%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 11.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.5%
+10.9 ptssince 2017
from 78.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.5%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.4%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 83.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.3%
−2.5 ptssince 2016
from 93.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.5%
+1.7 ptssince 2016
from 2.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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

Uninsured
8.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 58.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.6%(6,451)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.1%(9,205)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(1,021)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(220)
US avg: 1%

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
Drill deeper

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Pop 504,612
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Pop 481,718
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Pop 485,146
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Head 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.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →