Knoxville-Knox County Planning News | Who's Moving to Tennessee? (2024)

FAQs

Where are people moving from to Knoxville TN? ›

In recent years, migration has been the main driver of population growth in Tennessee. Individuals who moved to Tennessee from other states mostly came from California, Texas, and the southeastern U.S. The largest contributors were Florida and California, sending 25,318 and 22,565 new residents respectively.

It's not that shocking because Knox County – population 493,617 in 2024, according to the Boyd Center – has become a popular place to move to.

Groceries and clothing costs are 4% less than the U.S. average, and healthcare services are 9% less. In addition, Tennessee does not have a state income tax, saving transplants from larger metropolitan areas as much as another 12% annually.

The current metro area population of Knoxville in 2024 is 796,000, a 1.53% increase from 2023. The metro area population of Knoxville in 2023 was 784,000, a 1.69% increase from 2022. The metro area population of Knoxville in 2022 was 771,000, a 1.98% increase from 2021.

Nashville is one of the top destinations for Californian companies looking to relocate or expand operations. Some of the country's biggest firms, such as Amazon and Mitsubishi, are planting roots in Nashville and bringing thousands of jobs. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the largest employer in the city.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Knoxville, TN are White (Non-Hispanic) (72.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (16%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.2%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.23%), and White (Hispanic) (1.84%).

According to the Tennessee State Data Center at the University of Tennessee, between July 2022 and July 2023, Maury County went from almost 108,000 residents to more than 110,000. That's an increase of over 2,700 people.

Knox County, TN is home to a population of 481k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2022, 5.5% of Knox County, TN residents were born outside of the country (26.5k people). In 2022, there were 9.92 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (390k people) in Knox County, TN than any other race or ethnicity.

Tennessee overall ranked number four for states with the highest number of counties that saw population increases. Delaware topped the list, followed by Florida and Idaho.

Is it worth moving to Tennessee? ›

If you're looking to relocate to a new state, Tennessee could be a good choice. Your money will go further thanks to the relatively low cost of living, relatively low property taxes and the absence of state income taxes.

According to the data, between July 2022 and July 2023 Tennessee saw a 1.1% change in population. The Middle Tennessee area saw the biggest increases with Clarksville and Spring Hill each seeing spikes of more than 2%.

Clarksville leads in annual population growth in Tennessee according to updated statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New figures from the Census Bureau show Chattanooga's population is now 11,000 behind that of Knoxville. The Scenic City is less than 7,000 ahead of fast-growing Clarksville, which grew by 14,000 residents in just three years. Nashville still leads with a population of 687,788. Memphis is next at 618,639.

Knoxville's popularity with transplants from other cities and states continues to grow, with the Scruffy City recently making a few more lists of best places to live and buy real estate. U.S. News & World Report earlier this year ranked the Scruffy City 10th on its list of the year's cheapest places to live.

Knoxville, Tennessee is one of the fastest growing midsize cities in America, according to data.

Knoxville's known as the Cradle of Country Music, due to its role in nurturing the early careers of Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Flatt & Scruggs, Dolly Parton, and several other major figures. However, Knoxville is also home to the oldest symphony orchestra in the South.