Knox County, TN

County

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2024 Population

494,148

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

37.4

0.268% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.2%

0.371% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$74,222

3.57% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$320,900

14.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

252,207

2.28% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Knox County, TN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.2% of the residents in Knox County, TN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Knox County, TN are The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (8,489 degrees awarded in 2023), South College (2,558 degrees), and Pellissippi State Community College (1,778 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Knox County, TN was $320,900, and the homeownership rate was 65.2%.

Most people in Knox County, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Knox County, TN was 2 cars per household.

Knox County, TN borders Anderson County, TN, Blount County, TN, Grainger County, TN, Jefferson County, TN, Loudon County, TN, Roane County, TN, Sevier County, TN, and Union County, TN.

About the photo: World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN

Photo by Brent Moore

United States Tennessee Knoxville, TN

Population & Diversity

Knox County, TN is home to a population of 494k people, from which 96.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.41% of Knox County, TN residents were born outside of the country (31.7k people).

In 2024, there were 9.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (391k people) in Knox County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 39.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 16.2k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.2%

2024 Citizenship

96.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.2% of Knox County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Knox County, TN was 96.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Knox County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Knox County, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
391k ± 891
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
39.5k ± 875
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
16.2k ± 1.43k

6.33%

Hispanic Population

31.3k people

6.33% of the people in Knox County, TN are hispanic (31.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Knox County, TN as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
96,695 ± 7,581 people
Guatemala
27,777 ± 4,084 people
India
24,683 ± 3,850 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 96,695 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 27,777 and India with 24,683.

Foreign-Born Population

6.41%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

31.7k people

6.19%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

30.1k people

As of 2024, 6.41% of Knox County, TN residents (31.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Knox County, TN was 6.19%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Knox County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8,652 ± 547
Gulf War (2001-)
6,289 ± 709
Gulf War (1990s)
4,159 ± 559

Knox County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Knox County, TN.

Economy

The economy of Knox County, TN employs 252k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Knox County, TN were Health Care & Social Assistance (36,456 people), Retail Trade (30,848 people), and Educational Services (25,853 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($86,010), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($78,005), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($65,772).

Employment

Occupations

252k

2024 Value

± 4,403

2.28%

1 Year growth

± 2.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Knox County, TN grew at a rate of 2.28%, from 247k employees to 252k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Knox County, TN, are Management Occupations (28,769 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (28,547 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (25,640 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Knox County, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

252k

2024 Value

± 4,403

2.28%

1 Year growth

± 2.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Knox County, TN grew at a rate of 2.28%, from 247k employees to 252k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Knox County, TN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (36,456 people), Retail Trade (30,848 people), and Educational Services (25,853 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Knox County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Knox County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,947

Median earning men ± $1,549

$39,592

Median earning women ± $1,306

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,310), Public Administration ($74,580), and Information ($72,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($58,281), Public Administration ($57,528), and Wholesale Trade ($56,927).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Tennessee.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

774
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
679
Retail Trade
662
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.09M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.24M
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$1.17M
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Knox County, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Tennessee for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Tennessee over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Knox County, TN awarded 14,188 degrees. The student population of Knox County, TN in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 23,076 male students and 32,853 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Knox County, TN are White (10,735 and 77.9%), Black or African American (1,220 and 8.86%), Hispanic or Latino (628 and 4.56%), and Two or More Races (480 and 3.48%).

The largest universities in Knox County, TN by number of degrees awarded are The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (8,489 and 59.8%), South College (2,558 and 18%), and Pellissippi State Community College (1,778 and 12.5%).

The most popular majors in Knox County, TN are Liberal Arts & Sciences (863 and 6.08%), Pre-Nursing Studies (712 and 5.02%), and Registered Nursing (586 and 4.13%).

The median tuition costs in Knox County, TN are $18,428 for private four year colleges, and $11,332 and $29,522 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Knox County, TN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 46.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 29.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 55,929 (41.3% men and 58.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 55,929 students enrolled in Knox County, TN, 41.3% men and 58.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 40,643 records, of which 57.5% were women and 42.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
476 degrees awarded
Logistics, Materials, & Supply Chain Management
432 degrees awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
354 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Knox County, TN was Registered Nursing with 476 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Knox County, TN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
8,489 degrees awarded
South College
2,558 degrees awarded
Pellissippi State Community College
1,778 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was The University of Tennessee-Knoxville with 8,489 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 5,577 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Knox County, TN, which is 0.648 times less than the 8,611 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 10,735 degrees mean that there were 8.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,220 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($18,428) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,152) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,598) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Knox County, TN was $320,900 in 2024, which is 0.965 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $279,700 to $320,900, a 14.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Knox County, TN is 65.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Knox County, TN have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Knox County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Knox County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

Housing

Property

$320,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,524

$131,117

Median Property Taxes

±$2,721

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Knox County, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Knox County, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65.2%

Homeownership

2024

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.2% of the housing units in Knox County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Knox County, TN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$74,222

Median Household Income

± $1,390

201k

Number of Households

± 3,647

In 2024, the median household income of the 201k households in Knox County, TN grew to $74,222 from the previous year's value of $71,662.

The following chart displays the households in Knox County, TN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Knox County, TN is from Tennessee.

0.459

2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2023, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.619% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Tennessee across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.8%)
Worked At Home (14.4%)
Carpooled (6.71%)

In 2024, 75.8% of workers in Knox County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.4%) and those who carpooled to work (6.71%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Knox County, TN have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.03% of the workforce in Knox County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Knox County, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Knox County, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Knox County, TN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Knox County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Knox County, TN (58.7k out of 481k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Knox County, TN is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 15.8% of the children was living in poverty in Knox County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 506 in Knox County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 56 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.7% of the population of Knox County, TN has health coverage, with 52.7% on employee plans, 12.6% on Medicaid, 12.6% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 1.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Knox County, TN see 915 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (915 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1671 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 227 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

915 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Knox County, TN

Primary care physicians in Knox County, TN see an average of 915 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (915 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Knox County, TN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.6% under 18 years, 24.4% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.27%

Uninsured

52.7%

Employer Coverage

12.6%

Medicaid

12.6%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

1.38%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Knox County, TN declined by 1.88% from 8.43% to 8.27%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Knox County, TN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 55.9 in Knox County, TN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Knox County, TN.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.5% in Knox County, TN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Knox County, TN.