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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Knoxville Metro

Knoxville, TN · 9 counties · 651,618 residents · 3,501 sq mi
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The short version

With 651,618 people, Knoxville is a metro area. Median home value sits at $57,369. Renters pay $326 a month at the median. 69% of homes are owner-occupied. There are 96,641 fewer people here than in 2000. The median household earns $24,780, about 18% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.8
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 15%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
651,618
−13%vs 2000
vs 748,259 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
186 / sq mi
−13%vs 2000
vs 214 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
34.8
−7%vs 2000
vs 37.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
3,501 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
624K708K792K876K960K19902000201020202024Knoxville
2024932K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.2%(40,525)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.4%(41,395)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.5%(42,424)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.4%(48,143)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.7%(50,301)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.3%(106,464)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.5%(100,859)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5411.1%(72,335)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.3%(60,887)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.1%(52,507)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.3%(27,842)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(7,936)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$24,780
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,777 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,754
−36%vs 2000
vs $19,876 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
15.2%
+2.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$57,369
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $88,747 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$326
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $458 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
69.4%
−2.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 71.6% in 2000
30.6% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.1%(681,666)
Black5.5%(41,078)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(8,718)
Asian0.9%(6,660)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic93.2%(607,387)
Black5.7%(37,010)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(3,638)
Asian0.7%(4,458)
Other0.4%(2,763)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.8%(25,915)
Puerto Rican0.5%(4,723)
Guatemalan0.6%(4,655)
South American0.4%(3,728)
Honduran0.3%(2,506)
Cuban0.2%(2,042)
Colombian0.2%(1,405)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,028)
Venezuelan0.1%(950)
Spaniard0.1%(872)
Panamanian0.1%(620)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(527)
Dominican0.1%(485)
Argentine0.1%(377)
Peruvian0%(365)
Chilean0%(251)
Ecuadorian0%(245)
Bolivian0%(78)
Uruguayan0%(50)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(4,095)
Chinese0.4%(3,837)
Korean0.2%(1,537)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,519)
Filipino0.2%(1,341)
Japanese0.1%(508)
Taiwanese0%(267)
Laotian0%(195)
Thai0%(194)
Pakistani0%(176)
Nepalese0%(133)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(110)
Kazakh0%(86)
Cambodian0%(83)
Malaysian0%(52)
Mien0%(6)
Burmese0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(196)
Guamanian0%(111)
Samoan0%(47)
Fijian0%(19)
Ancestry
English14.6%(136,434)
American11.7%(109,171)
German11.1%(103,356)
Irish10.5%(97,907)
Scottish2.8%(25,651)
Scotch-Irish2.6%(24,529)
Italian2.5%(22,886)
French1.5%(14,299)
Polish1.4%(12,818)
Dutch0.9%(8,585)
Welsh0.8%(7,172)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.6%(5,677)
Norwegian0.5%(4,398)
Arab0.5%(4,348)
British0.5%(4,293)
Russian0.3%(3,079)
French Canadian0.3%(2,593)
Greek0.2%(2,114)
Hungarian0.2%(1,896)
Swiss0.2%(1,883)
Czech0.2%(1,662)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,659)
Danish0.2%(1,512)
Lebanese0.2%(1,271)
West Indian0.1%(1,059)
Austrian0.1%(906)
Iranian0.1%(891)
Portuguese0.1%(891)
Lithuanian0.1%(834)
Palestinian0.1%(794)
Slovak0.1%(781)
Canadian0.1%(755)
Finnish0.1%(682)
Romanian0.1%(649)
Nigerian0.1%(559)
Brazilian0.1%(551)
Iraqi0.1%(510)
Egyptian0.1%(384)
Armenian0%(348)
Belgian0%(315)
Ethiopian0%(310)
Croatian0.1%(299)
Kenyan0%(285)
Turkish0%(285)
Jamaican0%(252)
Jordanian0%(229)
Ghanaian0%(219)
Guyanese0%(212)
Slovene0%(210)
Moroccan0%(205)
Haitian0%(162)
Bulgarian0%(138)
Syrian0%(126)
Australian0%(116)
Latvian0%(113)
Serbian0%(102)
Israeli0%(23)
Somali0%(22)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.2%
−3.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 22.1% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
69.2%
−8.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 77.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.6%
−1.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.3% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.0 min
+34%vs 2000
vs 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married31.9%(121,076)
Married53.8%(204,433)
Widowed3.4%(12,845)
Divorced10.9%(41,289)
Women 15+
Never married26.3%(104,137)
Married51.1%(202,883)
Widowed9.8%(39,069)
Divorced12.8%(50,606)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
55.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 55.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 69.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 36.4% 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)22.6%(12,528)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.7%(14,214)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.9%(20,426)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(2,014)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(297)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 55,337 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
In this metro

Largest cities

KnoxvilleCENTRAL202,021Oak Ridge35,395Maryville32,442Farragut25,121Seymour16,216Powell13,739Alcoa13,689Lenoir City12,530Clinton10,466Halls10,272Tellico7,414La Follette7,176Loudon6,963Kingston6,299Harriman6,192Rockwood5,607Eagleton5,598Louisville4,562Karns4,115Oliver Springs3,433Mascot3,277Bean Station3,190Coalfield2,754Maynardville2,723Plainview2,263Jacksboro2,235Caryville2,217Blaine2,212Jellico2,126Vonore1,715

The 30 most populous of 51 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

9 component counties

Knox CountyCENTRAL511,453Blount CountyCENTRAL143,820Anderson CountyCENTRAL82,066Loudon CountyCENTRAL63,764Roane County57,395Campbell County40,290Grainger County25,739Morgan County22,160Union County21,450
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Knoxville

Albuquerque
Pop 925,279
Greenville
Pop 1,014,101
Bakersfield
Pop 927,068
Baton Rouge
Pop 888,699
Places similar to Knoxville
Head to head

Compare Knoxville side by side

KNOXVILLE VS
Albuquerque
Income$71,241+187%
Home value$288,193+402%
Population925,279−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Greenville
Income$71,083+187%
Home value$265,762+363%
Population1,014,101+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Bakersfield
Income$70,210+183%
Home value$338,300+490%
Population927,068−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KNOXVILLE VS
Baton Rouge
Income$70,666+185%
Home value$240,565+319%
Population888,699−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Knoxville, TN?

Knoxville, TN has about 651,618 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Knoxville, TN?

The typical household in Knoxville, TN earns about $24,780 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Knoxville, TN expensive?

In Knoxville, TN, the median home is worth about $57,369, and the typical rent is about $326 a month.

How educated are people in Knoxville, TN?

About 18.2% of adults age 25 and over in Knoxville, TN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Knoxville, TN?

About 15.2% of people in Knoxville, TN live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →