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Place dossier plate
SheetIA-KNOXVILLE-IA · Knoxville, IA 7,493 pop · income 50th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Knoxville
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Knoxville on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Breaux Bridge · lowest
45,620
Breaux Bridge · lowest
45,620 median HH income
32.8% of the leader · rank #1
Salisbury Cen… · near
70,132
Salisbury Cen… · near
70,132 median HH income
50.4% of the leader · rank #2
Bolivar · near
70,132
Bolivar · near
70,132 median HH income
50.4% of the leader · rank #3
Lexington · near
70,134
Lexington · near
70,134 median HH income
50.5% of the leader · rank #4
Knoxville · this city
70,136
Knoxville · this city
70,136 median HH income
50.5% of the leader · rank #5
Glendale · near
70,139
Glendale · near
70,139 median HH income
50.5% of the leader · rank #6
Union · highest
139,013
Union · highest
139,013 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Knoxville on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 7,493.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Knoxville - the verdict
Knoxville ranks in the 50th percentile for household income and the 31st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
50th
percentile, household income
26th
percentile, home value
11th
percentile, median rent
31st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Knoxville, IA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 7,493 residents in Knoxville, a small town within Iowa. Median household income here is $70,136 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.5%. Knoxville's housing stock carries a median value of $147,600, and the median resident age is 42.2 years. About 31.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 6 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2044.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 49.9°F with 37.5 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in Iowa run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Iowa at 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $989 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Iowa's average monthly utility costs around $212 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Knoxville's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to reported crime to schools and households to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Knoxville, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Knoxville?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Knoxville?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2044.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 10% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the education layer cover for Knoxville?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 31.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Which cities make useful reference points for Knoxville?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Iowa, the closest population matches are Creston (7,466 residents, $50,752 income); Decorah (7,597 residents, $62,177 income); Clear Lake (7,603 residents, $70,278 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Union, KY (7,494 residents); Meraux, LA (7,492 residents); New London, WI (7,492 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Knoxville?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 49.9°F, with 37.5 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Iowa is 39.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
39.7
Annual precipitation
37.5 in
Mean temperature
49.9°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Knoxville growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -112 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 6 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
7,581
2025 estimate
7,469
Period change
-1.5%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Knoxville?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 75.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
75.1%
Work from home
13.9%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 3,635 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 5.5% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Iowa average
C
City profile score · Knoxville, IA
59/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C+
5.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
31.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C-
$70,136
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
325 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Knoxville profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Poverty rate: 62/100 (C+) · 5.5%
Bachelor's+ share: 60/100 (C+) · 31.3%
Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,136
Violent crime: 29/100 (F) · 325 /100k
Where Knoxville sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Knoxville's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Knoxville highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Knoxville, IA (this city): home $147,600, crime 2,044/100k
New London, WI : home $162,800, crime 391/100k
North Riverside, IL : home $295,100, crime 5,742/100k
Tell City, IN : home $121,200, crime 1,043/100k
Creston, IA : home $112,600, crime 1,307/100k
Decorah, IA : home $234,600, crime 343/100k
Clear Lake, IA : home $235,100, crime 1,884/100k
Charles City, IA : home $118,900, crime 1,157/100k
Washington, IA : home $144,500, crime 2,091/100k
Webster City, IA : home $115,400, crime 1,615/100k
How does Knoxville compare to other US cities?
Where Knoxville sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income50% higher than other cities
Home value26% pricier than other cities
Median rent11% pricier than other cities
Safety31% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Iowa, Knoxville ranks #118 of 141 Iowa cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Knoxville against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Iowa only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Iowa-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Knoxville near the bottom of Iowa's cities
Among the 858 Iowa cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Knoxville ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Knoxville only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#333 of 845
61st percentile in Iowa
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 858
0th percentile in Iowa
Median Home Value
#281 of 849
67th percentile in Iowa
Poverty Rate
#449 of 858
47th percentile in Iowa
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#112 of 858
87th percentile in Iowa
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Iowa only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
50th percentile nationally for median household income · 31st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Knoxville's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Knoxville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Knoxville's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$147,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 74% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Knoxville's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,025 of 15,516
More affordable than 87% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,919 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.1×, Knoxville sits in the affordable band:
national rank #2,025 of 15,516 and #1,919 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$70,136Knoxville, IA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Knoxville, IA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Knoxville, IA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)31.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
7,493
Median Income
$70,136
Median Home Value
$147,600
Median Age
42.2
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Labor force participation
59.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2044.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
324.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1719.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
49.9°F
Annual Precipitation
37.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Knoxville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
7,581 residents
2021
7,486 residents
2022
7,438 residents
2023
7,438 residents
2024
7,463 residents
2025
7,469 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$1.1M
2020
1
1
0
$0.1M
2021
6
6
0
$1.5M
2022
5
5
0
$1.2M
2023
13
13
0
$3.9M
2024
6
6
0
$2.4M
Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
75.1%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
13.9%
Other
1.6%
Based on 3,635 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Iowa statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $212
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Iowa at $212 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Iowa statewide averages, not a meter reading for Knoxville. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Iowa's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Knoxville is $989/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Iowa statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.7 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Iowa statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Knoxville sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Knoxville compares to similar-size Iowa cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.