Knox County, Tennessee
Located in Tennessee, Knox County has a population of 494,148 residents and a median age of 37.4 years, making it the #148 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The median home value is $320,900, and the median household income is $74,222, which is 1% below the national median.
Demographics
Knox County has a population of 494,148, making it the #148 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.4 years, which is 3.9% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Knox County is $74,222, ranking #891 out of 3,222 counties — 1.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.2% and unemployment stands at 3.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Knox County is $320,900 (+13.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,261/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Knox County, 41.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.6% above the national average, ranking #253 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Knox County is 74.2 years. 17.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.0% of adults in Knox County smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 86.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Knox County is 7.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.8% of children in Knox County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Knox County is 62.0%. The mean commute time is 24.6 min, which is 11.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Knox County voted Republican with a margin of 19.6%. The vote was 39.4% Dem / 59% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County, Tennessee has a total population of 494,148, making it the 148th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Knox County is 37.4 years, which is 3.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Knox County is $74,222, which ranks #891 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.
The median home value in Knox County is $320,900, 13.8% above the national median. Renters in Knox County pay a median gross rent of $1,261 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Knox County, 41.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.6 min.
Knox County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (8.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.3%).
All data for Knox County, Tennessee comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.