Knox County vs Shelby County
Knox County, Tennessee versus Shelby County, Tennessee: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Knox County and Shelby County score about the same overall (42 vs 39 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Knox County | Shelby County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $69k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $49k |
| Home Value | $248k | $206k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $127k | $198k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.52% | 1.12% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.55% | 9.55% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 5.05% | 7.03% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 7.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 39°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.3 in | 55.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.2 in | 2.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 211 days | 201 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 77 days | 78 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 92.1 | 99.4 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 30.2 | 48.8 |
| Violent Crime | 1691/100k | 4495/100k |
| Property Crime | 2124/100k | 5526/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 481,406 | 926,440 |
| Median Age | 37.4 | 35.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.30 | 0.57 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | R+15 | D+31 |
| White (%) | 81.1% | 34.5% |
| Black (%) | 8.2% | 53.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 2.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 8.5/20 | 10.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 152 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.9% | 84.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 8.25 | 0.33 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Knox County or Shelby County more affordable?
- Shelby County has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Knox County's $53k and Shelby County's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Knox County versus $1k in Shelby County.
- Is Knox County or Shelby County safer?
- Knox County has the lower violent crime rate. Knox County reports 1691/100k and Shelby County reports 4495/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Knox County or Shelby County?
- The median home value is $248k in Knox County and $206k in Shelby County, so homes are more affordable in Shelby County.