Knox County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Knox County, Tennessee has a population of 494,148 across 508 square miles, up 5.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $43.62 bn in 2024, 12,519 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 438 7(a) approvals worth $255.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Knox County
How many people live in Knox County
- Population494,148
- Households201,146
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$74,222
- Median age37.4
- Median gross rent$1,261 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$320,900
- Home value to household income4.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher41.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over331,823
- Population under 18103,518
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over80,392
- Share 65 and over16.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64310,238
- Civilian labor force261,421
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.9 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties3rd of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents148th
Knox County is the 3rd largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 4.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 16.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Knox County
Is Knox County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.80 percent
- Census 2020 base population478,959
- Births, 20245,468
- Deaths, 20245,135
- Natural change, 2024333
- Net domestic migration, 20242,813
- Net international migration, 20242,004
- Total net migration, 20244,817
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202421,553
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents436th
The county has grown 5.80 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Knox County
Where people moving to Knox County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving14,282
- People arriving, from those returns25,113
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.15 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$80,200
- Largest single originKnox County Non-migrants (178,249 households)
- Largest single destination (178,249 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County Non-migrants | 178,249 | 356,664 | $18.88 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,789 | 8,510 | $388.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,327 | 4,074 | $173.1 m |
| Blount County | 1,008 | 1,644 | $58.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 980 | 1,678 | $78.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 788 | 1,586 | $69.1 m |
| Anderson County | 750 | 1,373 | $69.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 694 | 1,172 | $67.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Knox County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Knox County
What the Knox County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$43.62 bn
- County GDP, 2023$41.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.1 percent
- GDP change over five years45.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents135th
- GDP per resident$88,279
Output grew 6.1 percent in the latest year and 45.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Knox County
Who employs people in Knox County
- Covered employment, annual average260,373
- Establishments reporting17,321
- Average annual pay$65,043
- Average weekly wage$1,251
- Sector 62, employment41,161
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,242
- Sector 44-45, employment31,419
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$43,871
- Sector 72, employment28,200
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,853
- Sector 56, employment19,289
- Sector 56, average annual pay$52,730
- Sector 23, employment14,352
- Sector 54, employment14,040
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 41,161 | 2,012 | $67,242 |
| Sector 44-45 | 31,419 | 1,907 | $43,871 |
| Sector 72 | 28,200 | 1,290 | $26,853 |
| Sector 56 | 19,289 | 1,096 | $52,730 |
| Sector 23 | 14,352 | 1,365 | $77,291 |
| Sector 54 | 14,040 | 2,650 | $96,362 |
| Sector 42 | 13,492 | 1,206 | $92,384 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,262 | 647 | $73,330 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 41,161 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Knox County
What businesses operate in Knox County
- Establishments, all industries12,519
- Employment at those establishments242,117
- Annual payroll$13.63 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Knox County
What is being built in Knox County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,508
- Declared construction value permitted$1.04 bn
- Single family units authorised2,544
- Multifamily units authorised1,964
- Multifamily share of units43.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$230,578
- Units authorised per 1,000 households22.4
Multifamily is 43.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Knox County
How much SBA lending happens in Knox County
- 7(a) approvals recorded438
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$255.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$584,019
- Median 7(a) approval$301,500
- 10th percentile approval$41,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,550,000
- Largest single approval$4,861,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,838
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active88
- Distinct industries receiving approvals153
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms55
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter343
- Franchise loans126
- Franchise share of approvals28.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (24)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (44)
- 504 approvals recorded60
- 504 gross approval dollars$60.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,011,017
- Median 504 approval$678,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval22.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.2
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (57)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$316.5 m
The average approval of $584,019 sits well above the median of $301,500, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 12.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Knox County
Do SBA loans in Knox County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded76
- Paid in full72
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full72
- Status: Exempt from disclosure285
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Cancelled50
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed27
Of the 76 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Knox County
Which parts of Knox County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- KNOXVILLE, approvals406
- FARRAGUT, approvals14
- POWELL, approvals12
- Clarksville, approvals2
- CORRYTON, approvals1
- Knoxville,, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| KNOXVILLE | 406 | $238,313,500 |
| FARRAGUT | 14 | $6,070,200 |
| POWELL | 12 | $8,901,400 |
| Clarksville | 2 | $436,000 |
| CORRYTON | 1 | $338,500 |
| Knoxville, | 1 | $1,588,000 |
| OLIVER SPRINGS | 1 | $25,000 |
| NASHVILLE | 1 | $127,900 |
KNOXVILLE accounts for 406 approvals against 14 in FARRAGUT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Knox County
How big is Knox County
- Land area508 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties36th of 95
- Width, east to west34.5 mi
- Height, north to south26.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land973
- Establishments per square mile24.64
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Knox County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Knox County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population494,148
- Households201,146
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$74,222
- Median age37.4
Common questions
Knox County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Knox County, Tennessee?
494,148, in 201,146 households, ranking 3rd of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Knox County growing?
The population has grown 5.80 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,468 births against 5,135 deaths, with net migration of 4,817. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Knox County?
$74,222. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $320,900, which is 4.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,261 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Knox County?
12,519 establishments, employing 242,117 people with an annual payroll of $13.63 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Knox County?
Average annual pay is $65,043, or $1,251 a week, across 260,373 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Knox County?
438 7(a) approvals totalling $255.8 m since FY2020, across 88 lenders, with a median approval of $301,500, plus 60 504 approvals worth $60.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Knox County get paid back?
Of the 76 loans that have reached a final outcome, 72 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Knox County?
4,508 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.04 bn. Multifamily was 43.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Knox County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Knox County come from?
The largest single origin is Knox County Non-migrants, with 178,249 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,200 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Knox County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Knox County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.