Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Knoxville vs Lexington on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 35 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

KnoxvilleLexington

Knoxville

Tennessee

City page
Lexington
Photo by Iain Feeney on Unsplash

Lexington

Kentucky

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Housing and tax tradeoff: Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.

Biggest tradeoff: Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on safety.

Potential dealbreaker: Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population185,291321,276
Population Density1.9k /sq mi1.1k /sq mi
Center Elevation906 ft(276 m)968 ft(295 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$359,252
$318,873
Median Rent
$1,716
$1,553
Median Income$48,309$66,087
Rent Burden43%28%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun304 days/yr294 days/yr
Avg. High70°F66°F
Avg. Low51°F48°F
Comfort Score72/100Great66/100Good
Temp Swing41°F43°F
Annual Precipitation49"(124 cm)48"(122 cm)
Annual Snowfall5"(13 cm)10"(25 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 17 days > 100
Typical: 412024 modeled avg · 12 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Walkability31N/A
Transit Score
27
N/A

Walk Score data powered by Redfin

Safety Score53 / 10073 / 100
School Rating6.5/106.7/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
unknownNo Data
minimalMinimal
Internet Access
Fiber: 67%Cable: 98%
Fiber: 90%Cable: 95%
Demographics
Median Age33.4 years35.2 years
College Educated33%47%
Remote Workers9%10%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Knoxville.
One featured slot per city
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Lexington.
One featured slot per city
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