Cost of living in Knoxville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Knoxville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Tennessee, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Knoxville is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Knoxville is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Knoxville ranks as the #20 cheapest in Tennessee out of 105.
Knoxville ranks as the #290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Knoxville is $154,500.
The median income in Knoxville is $44,308.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Knoxville has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Tennessee, Knoxville has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Tennessee's index of 90.
The standard of living in Knoxville ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 105 places we measured in Tennessee. By definition, that implies Knoxville ranks as the #85 most expensive place in the Volunteer State.
For more reading on life in Knoxville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Knoxville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Knoxville is 87.
The Groceries index in Knoxville is 85.
The Health index in Knoxville is 94.
The Housing index in Knoxville is 72.
The Transportation index in Knoxville is 88.
The Utilities index in Knoxville is 92.
Living Expense | Knoxville | Tennessee | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 81 | 90 | 100 | |
Services | 87 | 93 | 100 | |
Groceries | 85 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 94 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 72 | 82 | 100 | |
Transportation | 88 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 92 | 93 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Tennessee, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Knoxville is $154,500.
The Median Rent in Knoxville is $938.
The Median Income in Knoxville is $44,308.
The Home Value To Income in Knoxville is 3.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Knoxville is 0.25x.
Statistic | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $154,500 | $193,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $938 | $951 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $44,308 | $58,516 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.5x | 3.3x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Knoxville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Maryville, TN has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Knoxville.
Oak Ridge, TN has a cost of living index of 88, 1.1x Knoxville.
Farragut, TN has a cost of living index of 112, 1.4x Knoxville.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Knoxville |
---|---|---|---|
Maryville, TN | 31,281 | 92 | 1.1x |
Oak Ridge, TN | 31,087 | 88 | 1.1x |
Farragut, TN | 23,388 | 112 | 1.4x |
Seymour, TN | 15,633 | 87 | 1.1x |
Alcoa, TN | 10,777 | 85 | 1.0x |
Clinton, TN | 9,982 | 84 | 1.0x |