If you are thinking about visiting Knoxville and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
Lets deep dive into the some crime statistics and crime rates and see how safe or dangerous Knoxville really is.
Is Knoxville, TN safe?
Statistically speaking, Knoxville is a slightly unsafe city. In 2020, Knoxville had a violent crime rate of 801.09 per 100,000 residents, which is 2 times greater than the national average and its property crime rate of 4,182.13 per 100,000 residents is more than 2 times greater than the national average.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Knoxville’s violent crime rate:
Knoxville, TN crime rate breakdown
Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Knoxville reported 1,528 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 801.09 per 100,000 residents. Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Knoxville’s violent crime is similar to cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas.
Year over year violent crime has increased 22.7%.
You have a 1 in 125 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Knoxville.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Knoxville over a 11 year period.
Knoxville’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Knoxville reported 38 murders and had a murder rate of 19.92 per 100,000 residents. Knoxville’s murder rate is 3 times greater than the national average.
Year over year murder has increased by 72.7%.
Knoxville has a similar murder rate to cities like Houston and Dallas.
You have a 1 in 5,019 chance of becoming a victim of murder in Knoxville.
Here’s a graph showing you how murders have trended over the last 11 years in Knoxville.
Here’s a table you showing the murder rates of 15 major cities in the United States. Knoxville has one of the lowest murde rate of all the cities listed.
|
Murder Rate |
35.4 |
|
Milwaukee | 33.53 |
32.2 |
|
29.3 |
|
28.6 |
|
20.3 |
|
Knoxville | 19.9 |
16.1 |
|
11.5 |
|
11 |
|
10.6 |
|
8.7 |
|
Austin | 8.5 |
6.3 |
|
5.7 |
|
4.1 |
|
3.1 |
Knoxville’s Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Knoxville reported 7,977 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 4,182.13 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Knoxville property crime rates is on par with cities like New Orleans and Detroit.
Year over year property crime has decreased 3%.
You have a 1 in 24 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Knoxville.
Here’s a graph showing you how property crime has trended in Knoxville over a 11 year period.
Knoxville’s crime rate vs other cities in Tennessee (2020)
Here’s a graph showing you how Knoxville’s crime rate compares to other cities in Tennessee. Knoxville had the fifth highest crime rate of all the cities listed in 2020.
|
Population |
Violent Crime Rate |
1. Memphis |
633,104 |
2,418.24 |
2. Chattanooga |
181,099 |
1,382.67 |
3. Nashville |
689,447 |
1,153.24 |
4. Jackson |
68,205 |
1,030.72 |
5. Knoxville |
190,740 |
801.09 |
6. Clarksville |
166,722 |
589.60 |
7. Murfreesboro |
152,769 |
484.39 |
8. Johnson City |
71,046 |
416.63 |
9. Bartlett |
57,786 |
264.77 |
10. Franklin |
83,454 |
233.66 |
Knoxville’s Crime Rate Comparison
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Knoxville’s violent crime rate is 3.7 times less than Monroe, the most dangerous city on the list.
How are Knoxville, TN crime rates calculated?
Crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
For example, in 2020 there were 916 violent crimes in Knoxville and the population was 190,740. This equals a crime rate of 332.50 per 100,000 residents.
Knoxville, TN Crime Stats
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and are for 2019 and 2020:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percentage Change |
Homicide |
22 |
38 |
72.7% |
Rape |
137 |
124 |
-9.5% |
Robbery |
231 |
241 |
4.3% |
Aggravated Assault |
855 |
1,125 |
31.6% |
VIOLENT CRIME TOTALS |
1,245 |
1,528 |
22.7% |
Burglary |
1,160 |
1,080 |
-6.9% |
Larceny/Theft |
6,080 |
5,775 |
-5.0% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
984 |
1,122 |
14.0% |
PROPERTY CRIME TOTALS |
8,224 |
7,977 |
-3.0% |
TOTALS |
9,469 |
9,505 |
0.4% |
How much has crime increased in Knoxville?
In 2020, Knoxville reported 9,505 total crimes, which is a .4% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Knoxville reported 1,528 violent crimes, which is a 22.7% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Knoxville reported 38 murders, which is a 72.7% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Knoxville reported 7,977 property crimes, which is a 3% decrease over 2019.
Most dangerous neighborhoods in Knoxville
Here’s a crime maps of Knoxville showing you the locations of all the homicides in 2021 to give you some perspective on crime in Knoxville.
East Knoxville has the highest concentration of murders in the city and is widely regarded as the roughest part of town by many residents.
Is Downtown Knoxville Safe?
Downtown Knoxville is generally a safe area to visit during the daytime. At night you should avoid straying too far outside the downtown areas, as those areas are sketchy.
A safe bet at night would be to stay within Gay street and Market Square.
Is the public transportation in Knoxville safe?
The public transportation system in Knoxville is handled by the KAT and it offers many routes via bus and trolley, that interweave throughout the entire city.
The trolleys and buses are generally a safe option to use during normal commuting hours (7am – 6pm), however we recommend that you use a taxi or ride sharing service outside of those hours. At night there are less people using the public transit and it can get sketchy.
Is Knoxville safe at night?
Knoxville is generally safe at night as long as you stay out of the problem areas (East Knoxville)
Be aware that streets and squares that are perfectly safe to visit in the daytime can be questionable and sketchy at night.
Learn the layout of the city and figure out which parts are good and which parts are bad and plan your trip accordingly.
What do residents of Knoxville say about it’s safety?
- "Generally speaking the further west you are in Knoxville, the better the neighborhood. East Knoxville and south Knoxville has more crime."
- "Most places around the downtown area of Knoxville is sketch. South Knoxville too."
- "East and South Knoxville are the “less gentrified” part of town."
- "West Knoxville is nice, north is somewhat nice, south is hit or miss, and east Knoxville is one of the higher crime areas. Downtown is pretty sketchy depending on where you’re at.’
- "You should probably avoid East Knoxville. There’s a lot of crime there and there’s not much to do or see there."
Tips to stay safe while visiting Knoxville
- Research the city before you arrive. Learn which parts of the city are good and which parts are sketchy and plan your trip with this knowledge.
- Always be aware of your surroundings. Stay off your cellphone and keep your eyes and ears open for any potential dangers.
- Don’t leave valuables in your car or in plain sight in your car.
- Don’t park in desolate areas or areas that are not well lit. Consider using parking garages when visiting.
Facts about Knoxville, TN
- The population of Knoxville in 2020 was 190,740 and is the 135th most populous city in the United States.
- The city covers a land area of 98.72 square miles.
- 89.8% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 33.5% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
- The median income for a household in the city was $41,598. The per capita income for the city was $26,903.
- 22.5% of the population live below the poverty line.
- The median home value in Knoxville is $325,000 in 2022.
- In 2022, the average rent for a Knoxville 2-bedroom apartment is $1,325.
Leave a Reply