Oak Ridge and Lenoir City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Oak Ridge
Lenoir City
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs71 · Top 20%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs92 · Top 28%
Schools
70 · Top 27%
vs67 · Top 30%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Oak Ridge | Lenoir City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,693 | 11,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,311 | $67,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,285 | $32,936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 383/sq mi | 1,288/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,200 | $252,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,131 | $932 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 63.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 19.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 220 | 80 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 7.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.1% | -85.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 59.7" | 59.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 23.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.6% | 43.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.2% | 33.4% | 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.
Lenoir City
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Oak Ridge
70
Your Score
70
Area Score
Lenoir City
69
Your Score
69
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Oak Ridge, TN · Lenoir City, TN · How this is calculated: methodology