Technical Report Series: Knoxville, Farragut, and Knox County Social and Economic Comparisons

Recently, the Census Bureau released information on Knox County’s residential, economic, and social characteristics collected for the 2000 Census of Population and Housing. Based on the many demographic traits that Knox County citizens share, a generalized sketch of a “typical” area resident can be drawn. Check the following profile to see where the similarities between you and your neighbors lie:

Undoubtedly, not all of the above statements apply directly to you. They are based on averages reported for Knox County as a whole, and many variations can be found depending on where you live within the county. There are major differences between the demographic averages for the City of Knoxville as compared to Knox County, and even more noticeable variations can be seen when Farragut is examined.

To understand how we might characterize a typical Knox County resident and to see where local differences can be found, take a closer look at some of the numbers.

TOTAL POPULATION
According to the 2000 Census, more than 382,000 people live in Knox County. That represents a gain of 46,000 residents, or 14% growth, since the census was last taken in 1990. Two incorporated places are found in Knox County. The City of Knoxville, with a population of 173,890, comprises a 46% share of the county total. The city grew 5% during the past 10 years. The Town of Farragut has 17,720 residents, or roughly one-tenth the population of Knoxville. Farragut’s population expanded 39% since the 1990 Census.

ANCESTRY
Tennessee natives comprise two-thirds of Knoxville and Knox County population totals. Less than half of the residents of Farragut were born in the state.

Countywide, the most commonly cited ancestries include English, Irish, German, and American.

MARITAL STATUS
More than half of Knox County residents aged 15 years and older are married. Another 11% are divorced.

City residents report a slightly higher level of divorce than the general county average, affecting 13% of the population. At the same time, more singles live in the city, comprising a third of the total. That share is driven in part by the University of Tennessee’s student population.

The Town of Farragut shows a predominantly married population, with over 70% of residents currently enjoying wedded bliss. Its divorce rate is less than half the countywide average.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Local emphasis on workforce education and training over the past several years is starting to pay dividends. Countywide, 83% of people aged 25 years and older have a high school diploma, up from 75% in 1990. The portion with a bachelor’s degree grew to 29%, compared to 24% just 10 years ago.

On average, residents of Farragut have completed more formal education than the broader Knox County population. About 95% of Farragut citizens over 25 years old have a high school diploma, and 54% hold a bachelor’s degree. Of the 6,500 people with a college education, 2,700 have a graduate or professional degree. Farragut’s college-educated population share is double the Knoxville average.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Knox County’s available labor force totals nearly 200,000 workers. Almost 188,000 were working at the time of the census, resulting in a generalized unemployment rate of 4.8%. (See note below.)

More than 86,000 workers live in the City of Knoxville, while another 9,200 are residents of Farragut. Knoxville’s generalized unemployment rate, 6.5%, was higher than the countywide average. Only 3.1% of Farragut residents were out of work at the time the census was taken.

Among Knoxville residents, women comprise almost half the workforce. Countywide, the female share is slightly lower at 46%. In Farragut, 42% of persons in the workforce are women. These participation rates are similar to those reported in the 1990 Census.

Unemployment rates in the area’s female labor force are consistent with the figures reported for the total workforce.

INDUSTRY
Knox County boasts a diverse economy. Its services industry is the clear leader, but manufacturing, construction, transportation, communications, and warehousing operations comprise a major base for the local economy.

Within the general services category, the largest segment countywide is the education, health, and social services sector, according to 2000 Census figures. The University of Tennessee, Knox County Schools, Pellissippi State Technical Community College, five major hospitals, and dozens of supporting medical complexes are among the area’s largest employers. More than 42,000 county residents work in this segment, representing almost one-quarter of the total labor force. City of Knoxville and Town of Farragut shares are similarly dedicated to service industries.

Local manufacturing employment is down from previous years’ levels. The 1990 Census reported a 14.6% share of the countywide population, but that portion dropped to 10.6% in 2000.

Knox County’s agriculture, forestry, and mining industries have declined since 1990. Less than one-half of one percent of the county’s workers are employed in these sectors, with 718 laborers.

INCOME
Local incomes climbed between 1989 and 1999. Countywide, the median household income grew to $37,454, up 44% from 1989, while the city median increased 38% to $27,492.

Farragut had a similar rate of growth, but its absolute numbers sharply outpaced other local figures. Farragut’s 1999 median household income was $82,726, and its median family income topped the $91,000 mark. The countywide family median was $49,182. Farragut’s median household income was triple the City of Knoxville’s level and double both the statewide figure of $36,360 and the national rate of $41,994.

Over 34,000 Knoxvillians live in poverty, comprising 21% of persons in the city for whom poverty status was determined. More than 8,600 are children under 18 years old. Countywide, the total is over 46,000 persons in poverty, representing almost 13% of the population. About 12,000 are children. Farragut, on the other hand, reported just under 3% of its population living below poverty levels.

Nearly one-quarter of Knoxville’s families with children live in poverty, and almost half of all families headed by a single mother are poor. About 40% of Knox County’s single-mother families, totaling almost 4,300, have below-poverty incomes.

Median Household Income: 1999

Median Household Income

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3. June 2002

HOUSING
Across Knox County, the number of owner-occupied housing units outpaced rentals by a 2-to-1 margin. In the City of Knoxville, however, the split was almost even at 51:49. Farragut reported a nearly 90% owner-occupancy rate.

A mix of housing types can be found countywide, comprised of 70% single-family homes, 24% apartments, condos, and townhouses, and 5% mobile homes. Farragut’s housing options are more limited, offering 91% single-family units.

Farragut has larger homes to match its larger incomes. More than 42% of the houses in the town have 9 or more rooms, with a median of 8 rooms per unit. By comparison, only 5% of the City of Knoxville’s housing stock has more than 9 rooms, and its median is 4.9. The city’s number is partly affected by its sizeable supply of multi-family units, which tend to be smaller with fewer rooms than single-family homes.

Almost 40% of Farragut’s housing stock was built in the past 10 years. By comparison, 22% of the county inventory was constructed during the 1990s, and 11% of the city’s supply is less than 10 years old. Alternatively, 13% of Knoxville’s housing inventory is more than 60 years old, providing a large base for historic residential properties. Less than one-half of one percent of the Farragut supply falls into that category.

The Knox County median home value in 2000 was $98,500. The City of Knoxville’s median was about 80% of that value at $78,000. Farragut achieved almost 2.5 times the city level, reaching $193,000. All three jurisdictions saw median home values climb more than 50% from 1990 figures.

Knox County Housing Types: 2000

Housing Types

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3. June 2002

HOME ENERGY
A lot of attention was paid to alternative home heating systems in the 1980s and early 1990s when conventional fuel costs were escalating. Local support for alternatives has proven to be very limited — only 23 homes countywide reported use of solar energy as a primary fuel source for home heating in 2000. Six of those houses are located in the City of Knoxville.

VEHICLE OWNERSHIP
About one-third of Knoxville’s households have two vehicles. More than half of Farragut’s families make that same claim. Farragut’s share of 3-car families outnumbers Knoxville’s by more than 2-to-1.

There are an estimated 1.8 vehicles per household countywide, with a 1.5 vehicle average in Knoxville and 2.2 per household in Farragut.

COMMUTING TO WORK
Efforts to increase automobile ridesharing and public transit use in daily work commuting have not had a noticeable impact on reducing the number of vehicles on area roadways each day. According to 2000 Census figures, 81% of Knoxville residents drive alone to work, up from 77% in 1990.

There are about 5,000 more workers in Knoxville since 1990, but the number of solo drivers grew by 6,700. A reduction in the number of carpoolers and a decline in public transit reliance for daily commuting account for the difference.

The number of carpoolers dropped from 9,700 in 1990 to 8,300 in 2000 as only 11% of city residents share rides to work. More than 90% of Farragut residents drive alone to work, while the countywide average is 85%.

Public transit figures saw a 23% drop from 1990 rates with fewer than 1,200 Knoxville workers using buses, trolleys, and taxis as their primary means of transportation.

In the early-1990s, many economists, sociologists, and planners predicted that the number of people who work from home would grow dramatically over the next several years, influenced by communications advancements, family demands, traffic constraints, and workplace preferences. The 2000 Census figures show, however, that the trend did not materialize. Some growth was measured, but it was modest. The City of Knoxville added 408 new home-workers, while Knox County overall grew by about 1,300, comprising only 2.7% of the workforce.

Knox County Commuting: Means of Transportation to Work, 2000

Knox County Commuting chart

For the 15% of commuters who used a means of transportation to work other than driving a car alone,
the graphic above shows the modes of travel they chose.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3. June 2002

Census 2000: Selected Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics
City of Knoxville, Town of Farragut, Knox County

	Knoxville	Share (%)	Farragut	Share (%)	Knox County	Share (%)

General Demographics
Total population	173,890		17,720		382,032
Average household size	2.12		2.76		2.34

Nativity and Place of Birth
Total population^*	173,680		17,879		382,032
Native	168,432	97.0	17,263	96.6	372,464	97.5
Born in United States	167,429	96.4	17,103	95.7	370,186	96.9
State of residence	117,323	67.6	7,623	42.6	250,570	65.6
Different state	50,106	28.8	9,480	53.0	119,616	31.3
Foreign born	5,248	3.0	616	3.4	9,568	2.5

Ancestry
Total population^*	173,680		17,879		382,032
English	17,674	10.2	3,605	20.2	46,303	12.1
German	17,333	10.0	3,302	18.5	44,967	11.8
Irish	17,135	9.9	2,204	12.3	41,229	10.8
United States or American	23,175	13.3	1,740	9.7	60,107	15.7

Marital Status
Population 15 years and over	144,638		14,137		310,797
Never married	50,033	34.6	2,642	18.7	81,968	26.4
Now married, excluding separated	60,107	41.6	10,019	70.9	167,641	53.9
Divorced	19,195	13.3	761	5.4	35,373	11.4

Grandparents as Caregivers
Grandparent in household with grandchildren <18 years	2,821		183		5,848
Grandparent responsible for grandchildren	1,289	45.7	43	23.5	2,654	45.4

Educational Attainment
Population 25 years and over	110,317		12,165		252,530
High school graduate or higher	86,506	78.4	11,582	95.2	208,456	82.5
Bachelor's degree or higher	27,092	24.6	6,522	53.6	73,348	29.0
Graduate or professional degree	10,503	9.5	2,706	22.2	27,227	10.8

Employment Status
Population 16 years and over	142,967		13,788		306,264
In labor force	86,202	60.3	9,236	67.0	197,352	64.4
Civilian labor force	86,137	60.2	9,225	66.9	197,184	64.4
Employed	80,496	56.3	8,940	64.8	187,717	61.3
Unemployed	5,641	3.9	285	2.1	9,467	3.1
Percent of civilian labor force		6.5		3.1		4.8

Females 16 years and over	76,648		7,032		160,808
In labor force	41,059	53.6	3,915	55.7	91,339	56.8
Civilian labor force	41,046	53.6	3,915	55.7	91,305	56.8
Employed	38,255	49.9	3,769	53.6	86,821	54.0
Unemployed	2,791	3.6	146	2.1	4,484	2.8
Percent of civilian labor force		6.8		3.7		4.9

Industry
Employed civilian population 16 years and over	80,496		8,940		187,717
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, mining	187	0.2	16	0.2	718	0.4
Construction	4,457	5.5	371	4.1	10,929	5.8
Manufacturing	7,538	9.4	939	10.5	19,847	10.6
Wholesale trade	3,460	4.3	423	4.7	8,417	4.5
Retail trade	11,264	14.0	1,197	13.4	25,945	13.8
Transportation, warehousing, utilities	3,612	4.5	364	4.1	9,750	5.2
Information	2,123	2.6	196	2.2	4,925	2.6
Finance, insurance, real estate	4,364	5.4	690	7.7	11,003	5.9
Professional, scientific, management, administrative	8,664	10.8	1,617	18.1	22,240	11.8
Educational, health, social services	19,372	24.1	1,982	22.2	42,183	22.5
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, food services	8,488	10.5	571	6.4	15,689	8.4
Other services	4,163	5.2	330	3.7	9,125	4.9
Public administration	2,804	3.5	244	2.7	6,946	3.7

Income in 1999
Median household income (dollars)	27,492		82,726		37,454
Median family income (dollars)	37,708		91,423		49,182
Per capita income (dollars)	18,171		35,830		21,875

Poverty Status in 1999
Families Below Poverty Level	5,805	14.4	133	2.6	8,440	8.4
With related children under 18 years	4,439	22.9	66	2.7	6,259	12.9

Families with female householder, no husband present	3,810	36.0	29	12.4	4,896	28.8
With related children under 18 years	3,306	47.3	29	22.1	4,267	38.4

Individuals	34,036	20.8	508	2.9	46,572	12.6
With related children under 18 years	8,622	26.1	137	2.9	12,088	14.5
18 years and over	25,212	19.3	361	2.8	34,106	11.9
65 years and over	2,785	12.0	72	4.1	4,468	9.7

Housing Occupancy
Occupied housing units^*	76,650	90.2	6,333	95.5	157,872	92.1
Vacant housing units	8,331	9.8	295	4.5	13,567	7.9

Owner-occupied housing units	39,208	51.2	5,647	89.2	105,562	66.9
Renter-occupied housing units	37,442	48.8	686	10.8	52,310	33.1

Homeowner vacancy rate (%)	2.9		2.1		2.5
Rental vacancy rate (%)	10.5		10.8		10.0

Housing Units in Structure
Single-family	50,163	59.1	6,105	91.3	120,287	70.2
Multi-family	33,641	39.6	520	7.8	41,810	24.4
Mobile home	1,087	1.3	62	0.9	9,299	5.4
Boat, RV, van, etc.	6	0.0	0	0.0	43	0.0

Rooms (Housing Units)
Units with 9 or more rooms	4,373	5.2	2,811	42.0	17,707	10.3
Median number of rooms	4.9		8.0		5.5

Year Structure Built (Housing Units)
1995 to March 2000	5,807	6.8	1,355	20.3	21,538	12.6
1990 to 1994	3,661	4.3	1,240	18.5	16,110	9.4
1939 or earlier	10,932	12.9	32	0.5	14,219	8.3

Year Householder Moved Into Unit (Housing Units)
1999 to March 2000	21,395	27.9	1,133	17.8	35,831	22.7
1995 to 1998	21,641	28.3	1,921	30.2	45,500	28.8
1990 to 1994	10,302	13.4	1,438	22.6	25,170	15.9

Value, Mortgage, Rent of Housing Units
Median value (dollars)	78,000		192,800		98,500
Median mortgage (dollars)	801		1,400		925
Median rent (dollars)	467		852		493

House Heating Fuel (Housing Units)
Solar energy house heating fuel	6	0.0	0	0.0	23	0.0

Vehicles Available (Housing Units)
None	9,204	12.0	85	1.3	11,696	7.4
1	32,769	42.8	1,007	15.8	53,588	33.9
2	25,296	33.0	3,343	52.6	63,595	40.3
3 or more	9,328	12.2	1,923	30.2	28,993	18.4

Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over	79,042		8,838		184,824
Drove alone	63,656	80.5	8,004	90.6	156,194	84.5
Carpooled	8,338	10.5	409	4.6	17,017	9.2
Public transportation	1,153	1.5	17	0.2	1,286	0.7
Walked	3,343	4.2	35	0.4	4,113	2.2
Other means	713	0.9	39	0.4	1,164	0.6
Worked at home	1,839	2.3	334	3.8	5,050	2.7
Mean travel time to work (minutes)	20.3		23.5		22.2

*Summary File 3 population and housing unit totals are statistical estimates which vary slightly from the 100-percent counts from Summary File 1.
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing. Summary File 3. June 2002.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM MPC
In addition to population profiles, the Metropolitan Planning Commission assembles and maintains an extensive collection of other demographic data products, like population projections, thematic maps, and summary spreadsheets covering Knoxville, Knox County, and the six-county metropolitan area.

Related publications:

Printed copies of this report are available by contacting Gretchen Beal at 215-2500.