Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Knoxville, Tennessee population is 202,021 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #126 nationally and #3 in Tennessee. Cost of living runs 7.4% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $95,125/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
202,021 people live in Knoxville as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #126 largest U.S. city.
How big is Knoxville?
Knoxville covers 98.7 square miles of land and 5.5 square miles of water. Its population density is about 2,046 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 6.0% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 190,660 → 2025: 202,021 (+6.0%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
190,660
April 1, 2020
2020
191,201
July 1, 2020
2021
192,154
July 1, 2021
2022
196,198
July 1, 2022
2023
197,496
July 1, 2023
2024
199,084
July 1, 2024
2025
202,021
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 5.2% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Knoxville is the #126 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #3 in Tennessee.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
190,660
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+11,361
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+6.0%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+2,937
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+1.5%
within V2025 only
Density
2,046
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
98.7
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#126
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#3
of 345 in Tennessee
What is the median household income in Knoxville?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 33% below the U.S. median ($54,039 vs $80,734); 20.2% live in poverty, 7.7 points above the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$54,039
US
Knoxville: $54,039 — 33% below the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Knoxville
$54,039
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Knoxville from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$54,039-33.1% vs US
±$1,606
Per capita income
$35,408-20.7% vs US
±$950
Population in poverty
20.2% ± 1.2 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 28% below the U.S. median ($239,700 vs $332,700); median rent is 16% below ($1,191 vs $1,413); price-to-income ratio (4.4×) is roughly in line with the U.S. median (4.1×).
Median home value$239,700
US
Knoxville: $239,700 — 28% below the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,471/mo
US
Knoxville: $1,471/mo — 37% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Knoxville. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.2%
Knoxville (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
104,254
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
13.2% ± 1.0 percentage points-12.8% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Knoxville sits in Knox County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Knox County
12.8%
$75,465
3.0%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Knoxville's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
41,889
$1,337 / wk
#2
Retail trade (44-45)
31,798
$868 / wk
#3
Accommodation and food services (72)
28,164
$531 / wk
#4
Administrative and waste services (56)
19,712
$1,046 / wk
#5
Construction (23)
14,802
$1,595 / wk
What workers earn in the Knoxville, TN metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest tracked occupation in the Knoxville, TN metro (12,730 jobs, median $27,720/yr).
▸Show all 12 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers
12,730
$27,720
$13.33
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
10,120
$37,400
$17.98
Cashiers
8,030
$29,110
$13.99
Stockers and Order Fillers
7,730
$35,410
$17.02
Waiters and Waitresses
7,260
$28,100
$13.51
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
7,150
$31,200
$15.00
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
12,430
$31,150
$14.97
Registered Nurses · benchmark
9,500
$77,240
$37.13
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
8,660
$104,590
$50.29
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
8,130
$59,100
$28.41
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 7.4% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.6); utilities run 28.1% below (RPP 71.9) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 92.6
US
Knoxville's cost of living runs 7.4% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.6 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 92.6
−7.4% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Knoxville, TN metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,471/mo
FY2026 · Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
0%
no state income tax · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$7,927/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$3,177/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
7.2% ± 0.8 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (5.5% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Knoxville's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (88°F avg high). Coldest: January (29°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 53.5 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Knoxville from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Knoxville from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Knox County
92.1
Relatively Moderate
Lightning 98.1 Very High · Earthquake 96.8 Relatively Moderate · Tornado 96.7 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Knoxville?
15 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 99% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Knoxville from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
15 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
14
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
98.7%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
98.7%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
100,408
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Knoxville?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 1,484 violent and 5,455 property offenses in the Knoxville jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 740.3 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Knoxville — an FBI jurisdiction population of 200,457, versus the Census place population of 202,021. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
1,484
740.3
359.1
Property crime
5,455
2,721.3
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
22
Rape
130
Robbery
164
Aggravated assault
1,168
Burglary
659
Larceny-theft
4,037
Motor vehicle theft
759
Arson (12-month reporters only)
9
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
842.2
3,907.6
194,724
2023
817.1
3,127.7
198,132
2024
740.3
2,721.3
200,457
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Knoxville · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Knoxville sits at state rank #3 among 345 cities in Tennessee. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Columbus, GA · #125 · 202,171 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Grand Rapids, MI · #127 · 201,183 residents.
Quick travel facts for Knoxville
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
886 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
McGhee Tyson Airport(TYS) · 11 mi 18 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
May, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Knoxville.
How many people live in Knoxville, TN?
Knoxville has 202,021 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #126 largest city in the United States and #3 in Tennessee. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Knoxville growing or shrinking?
Knoxville has grown 6.0% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 11,361 residents, including a 1.5% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Knoxville's population in the 2020 census?
The GEOID for Knoxville is 4740000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
