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.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Lexington vs Knoxville on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 27 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.
LexingtonKnoxville
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on safety, weaker on sunshine.
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 | ||
| Population | 321,276 | 185,291 |
| Population Density | 1.1k /sq mi | 1.9k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 968 ft(295 m) | 906 ft(276 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $318,873 | $359,252 |
| Median Rent | $1,553 | $1,716 |
| Median Income | $66,087 | $48,309 |
| Rent Burden | 28% | 43% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 294 days/yr | 304 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 66°F | 70°F |
| Avg. Low | 48°F | 51°F |
| Comfort Score | 66/100Good | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 43°F | 41°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48"(122 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 10"(25 cm) | 5"(13 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 412024 modeled avg · 12 days > 100 | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 17 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | N/A | 31 |
| Transit Score | N/A | 27 |
| Safety Score | 73 / 100 | 53 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 90%Cable: 95% | Fiber: 67%Cable: 98% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 35.2 years | 33.4 years |
| College Educated | 47% | 33% |
| Remote Workers | 10% | 9% |
| 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 ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Lexington. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Knoxville. One featured slot per city |
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