Knox County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knox County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 95% of counties in Tennessee
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 93% of counties in Tennessee
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 494,148 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 938.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.22% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 39.0 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 201,141 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knox County grew by 16.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 494,148 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knox County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.1% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 119,249 24.1% +2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 105,942 21.4% on par
- Gen X 45–60 97,136 19.7% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 79,801 16.1% -1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Knox County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 48.9% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knox County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knox County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,263 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.97% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knox County is about 6% higher than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $263,740 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,261 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knox County is about 17.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,261 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knox County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 178 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.7 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 178 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,510 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.4% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,710 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,103 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Knox County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Knox County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Knox County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Knox County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Knox County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Knox County, TN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 494,148 residents against a local median of 58,580. Where Knox County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 20% above the local median of $219,444 at $263,740.
The counties themselves spread $191,897 on median home price, so Knox County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knox County, TN has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, TN | 494,148 | $74,263 #3/6 | $263,740 #3/6 | 21.3 min #1/6 |
| Anderson County, TN | 79,153 | $67,394 | $210,366 | 23.1 min |
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | $78,165 | $334,999 | 22.9 min |
| Union County, TN | 20,431 | $63,970 | $294,999 | 33.2 min |
| Loudon County, TN | 58,580 | $84,040 | $143,103 | 22.0 min |
| Campbell County, TN | 39,761 | $51,969 | $219,444 | 26.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knox County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Knox County, Tennessee?
About 494,148 people live in Knox County, Tennessee, in 201,141 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 39.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Knox County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Knox County, Tennessee has 939 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Knox County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($263,740 against $74,263), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,261 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Knox County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Knox County, Tennessee is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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