Knox County, Tennessee Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Knox County is located in Tennessee with a total population of 494,148. It is the 3rd most populous county out of 95 in Tennessee. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Knox County is 37.4 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Knox County is $74,222. This is 7% higher than the state median of $69,595. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.2%. This is 11% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 25% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $320,900. Housing costs are 12% higher than the state median of $286,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.3x. 65.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 66.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Knox County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 79.1% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 8.0%.

Education

41.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Knox County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 32% higher than the state rate of 31.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.4%. Notably, 16.2% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Knox County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Tennessee and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.