Oak Ridge receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Oak Ridge
Knoxville
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs60 · Top 43%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs74 · Top 12%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs73 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Schools
70 · Top 27%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs96 · Top 32%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Oak Ridge | Knoxville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,693 | 195,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,311 | $54,039 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,285 | $35,408 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 383/sq mi | 1,977/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,200 | $239,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,131 | $1,191 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 46.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 34.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 20.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 220 | 1,738 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 8.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.1% | -9.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 59.7" | 51.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.6% | 32.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.2% | 32.3% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Oak Ridge
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Knoxville
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Oak Ridge, TN · Knoxville, TN · How this is calculated: methodology