Census-designated place · Tennessee
Powell, Tennessee
Powell, census-designated place, in Knox County, Tennessee. Powell had 13,739 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,454). GEOID 4760480.
Residents, 2020-2024
13,739
±1,454 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 13,802
Median household income
$82,434
±$8,511 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$299,400
±$22,978 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$1,276
±$268 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Powell and what county is it in?
Powell is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Knox County, Tennessee. It covers 8.5 square miles of land, 1,616 residents per square mile in 2020.
Powell is in the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 9 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Powell, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Powell's population at 13,739 (±1,454). The 2020 Census counted 13,802 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Powell is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Powell | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 13,739 ±1,454 | 494,148 | – |
| Households | 4,999 ±466 | 201,146 | – |
| Average household size | 2.69 ±0.18 | 2.39 | – |
| Housing units | 5,283 ±444 | 218,661 | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Powell?
The median resident of Powell is 37.5 years old; 22.1% are under 18 and 17.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.5%. 5.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Powell | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.5 ±3.2 | 37.4 | – |
| Under 18 years | 22.1% ±3.2 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.0% ±2.5 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Male | 44.9% ±2.9 pts | 49.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.5% ±4.3 pts | 6.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.9% ±5.4 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.9% ±2.5 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.1% ±3.0 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.9% ±4.1 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.5% ±2.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 12.9% ±2.8 pts | 12.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.7% ±3.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.6% ±4.0 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 30.6% ±5.2 pts | 41.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7% ±2.5 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.5% ±3.0 pts | 86.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.6% ±2.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Powell earn?
Half of Powell's 4,999 households earn less than $82,434 a year (±$8,511), against $74,222 in Knox County and $69,595 in Tennessee. 4.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Powell | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,434 ±$8,511 | $74,222 | – |
| Mean household income | $98,664 ±$12,759 | $104,460 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,289 ±$4,849 | $43,351 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 4.1% ±1.7 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.4% ±2.5 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.0% ±3.6 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.3% ±2.5 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.0% ±3.2 pts | 89.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Powell?
Owners occupy 78.9% of Powell's occupied homes and renters 21.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $299,400 by its owner (±$22,978). The median renter pays $1,276 a month including utilities, and 44.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Powell | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $299,400 ±$22,978 | $320,900 | – |
| Median gross rent | $1,276 ±$268 | $1,261 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.3% ±13.6 pts | 41.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,521 ±$81 | $1,589 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.9% ±4.6 pts | 65.2% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.1% ±4.6 pts | 34.8% | – |
| Housing units | 5,283 ±444 | 218,661 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.4% ±5.7 pts | 65.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.7% ±4.3 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.4% ±3.6 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±3.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Powell work and get to work?
77.4% of Powell's workers drive alone and 12.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.7 minutes.
| Measure | Powell | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.8% ±3.5 pts | 65.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% ±2.9 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.4% ±5.4 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.2% ±3.7 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.7% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.3% ±4.1 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.7 min ±2.2 | 22.2 min | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Powell?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Powell, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $83,705 (Tract 61.03) to $86,574 (Tract 61.04).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 61.04Knox County | 6,884 | $86,574 |
| Tract 61.03Knox County | 4,401 | $83,705 |
| Tract 61.02Knox County | 5,282 | $62,862 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Powell) · Census block assignment files
How does Powell compare with other places in Tennessee?
Powell ranks 57th of 287 places in Tennessee with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 47th | 289 |
| Residents per square mile | 17th | 289 |
| Median household income | 57th | 287 |
| Per capita income | 76th | 289 |
| Median home value | 75th | 285 |
| Median gross rent | 49th | 265 |
| Poverty rate | 225th | 239 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69th | 276 |
| Median age | 200th | 289 |
| Owner-occupied share | 90th | 289 |
| Work from home | 81st | 167 |
| Travel time to work | 173rd | 288 |
Powell's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Powell with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Powell?
12 of the 57 figures for Powell on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Powell are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.