Residential comparison · 13 facts
Knoxville, TN vs Oak Ridge, TN
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Knoxville needs about $77,500 in Oak Ridge to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Oak Ridge, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,500 in Knoxville.
A few differences
- Oak Ridge is lower on property tax rate (0.65% vs 0.7%).
- Knoxville is lower on sales tax (9.25% vs 9.55%).
- Oak Ridge is higher on median household income ($72,311 vs $55,000).
Knoxville vs Oak Ridge · facet by facet
| Facet | Knoxville, TN | Oak Ridge, TN |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $350,000 | $270,200 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,550/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.7% | 0.65% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.25% | 9.55% |
| Cost of living index | 93 | 86 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 96 |
| Utilities | $150/mo | $160/mo |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $72,311 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.3% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 70/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 205 days | 205 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Knoxville, TN · Oak Ridge, TN
Questions & answers
- Is Knoxville cheaper than Oak Ridge?
- Oak Ridge has the lower day-to-day cost index (86 vs 93 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Oak Ridge equals $85,000 in Knoxville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Knoxville needs about $77,500 in Oak Ridge to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Oak Ridge lifestyle costs about $92,500 in Knoxville.