Our Community

Knoxville is a vibrant city which offers one of the highest quality of living standards in the United States. With large employers such as TVA, the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Lab, Knoxville enjoys high employment rates and a stable economy. The friendly “volunteer spirit” of Knoxvillians is always a source of discussion among newcomers. Our area is full of energetic, enthusiastic, “down home” people ready to lend a hand to their neighbors.

Knoxville is within a short drive to the nation’s most visited national park, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With ample entertainment and shopping options along the way (Sevierville and Pigeon Forge) Knoxvillians are regularly en route to the mountains. Knoxville has recently made great strides in its own greenways and parks. It’s easy to locate a quiet park or public tennis courts, golf and boating access from virtually any point in the county. Laced with rivers, the area is stocked with boaters, fishermen, skiers– water-lovers of every sort.

The University of Tenneseee boasts a campus of approx 25,000 students, keeping our area feeling young and vital. The caliber of the student body is highly impressive and many of these bright young professionals choose to stay in Knoxville after their graduation. The university offers many non-credit community courses so everyone has the opportunity to learn for a lifetime. The university, in partnership with Battelle, runs the Oak Ridge National Lab, offering state-of-the-art research to leading scientists from around the world. Our new McGhee Tyson airport welcomes the visitors daily, an estimated 1 of every 5 visitors is a scientist headed to Oak Ridge.

Knoxville offers many of the upscale arts and culture attractions typically found only in much larger cities. Knoxville is home to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra which offers classical performances as well as a Pops series and many family-oriented shows. The Clayton Family Christmas Concert is a perennial favorite as well as the 4th of July concerts. The Knoxville Opera company provides world-class opera performances and is host to downtown’s Rossini Festival, a very popular “street party” which draws large crowds. There is no shortage of historical museums, including James White Fort, Blount Mansion and the Mabry Hazen House. The Knoxville Museum of Art has a substantial collection and features exciting traveling exhibits on a regular basis.

All in all, the Knoxville area has it ALL!

DOGWOOD ARTS FESTIVAL

BIG EARS MUSIC FESTIVAL

TENNESSEE THEATER CALENDAR

As of the census of 2000, there were 177,661 people, 76,650 households, and 40,164 families residing in the city, and the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 616,079. The population density was 1,876.7 people per square mile (724.6/km²). There were 84,981 housing units at an average density of 917.1 per square mile (354.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% White, 16.2% African American, 1.45% Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.

There were 76,650 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $27,492, and the median income for a family is $37,708. Males had a median income of $29,070 versus $22,593 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,171. About 14.4% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

In 2006, ERI published an analysis that identified Knoxville as the most affordable U.S. city for new college graduates, based on the ratio of typical salary to cost of living.

Population and household growth are expected to follow employment growth, causing increased housing demand during the forecast period. Resident employment should continue to grow at a pace equal to that from 2000 to the Current date. As population continues to increase and the labor force grows, the unemployment rate is projected to increase slightly to 3.7 percent. The population growth is estimated to result in 12,900 new households in the HMA by the Forecast date. Demand for new housing for the period from April 1, 2005, to April 1, 2008, is estimated to total 13,100 units — 10,400 sales units and 2,700 rental units.

Knoxville’s economy is largely fueled by the regional location of the main campus of the University of Tennessee, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other Department of Energy facilities in nearby Oak Ridge, the National Transportation Research Center, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Because of its central location in the eastern half of the United States and proximity to two major Interstate highways, many warehousing and distribution companies operate in and around Knoxville. The Old City is home to most of Knoxville’s historic warehouses and factories.

In April 2008, Forbes Magazine named Knoxville among the Top 10 Metropolitan Hotspots in the United States and within Forbes’ Top 5 for Business & Careers, just behind cities like New York and Los Angeles.

In March 2009, CNN ranked Knoxville as the 59th city in the top 100 US metro areas, in terms of real estate price depreciation. The median price of a home in Knoxville is $184,900.

Kiplinger has ranked Knoxville at #5 in its list of Best Value Cities 2011 citing “college sports, the Smoky Mountains and an entrepreneurial spirit.”