KNOXVILLE AREA FACTS AND FIGURES

LOCATION AND CLIMATE

Founded in 1791 where the French Broad and Holston Rivers meet to form the Tennessee River, Knoxville is the largest city in East Tennessee and ranks 3rd statewide with its metropolitan population of over 647,000. It is located in a broad valley between the Cumberland Mountains to the northwest and the Great Smoky Mountains to the southeast. These two mountain ranges afford an attractive natural setting and provide a moderate, four-season climate, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 38 degrees in January to 78 degrees in July. The City of Knoxville comprises 102.8 square miles of the 526-square mile total for Knox County. Downtown Knoxville is 936 feet above sea level.

LIVABILITY

The 7th annual “Quality of Life Quotient” ranking of 362 metropolitan statistical areas by Expansion Management magazine gave the Knoxville-Oak Ridge metro area a five-star rating. Knoxville was the only city in Tennessee and one of 50 nationwide to receive the magazine’s top rating. The rankings are based on crime, affordable housing, public schools, access to air service, continuing education and standard of living. Knoxville was also selected by Pinnacle Living magazine as one of the ideal locales in the southern highlands for people seeking to relocate, retire, or establish a second home.

EDUCATION

Knox County operates 88 public schools, including 51 elementary, 14 middle, and 12 high schools, two vocational schools, and 10 special/adult education centers. Included in the total are five magnet schools offering an enhanced arts and science curriculum. Public school enrollment in 2004 was 52,637. The system employs 3,447 teachers with an average classroom ratio of one teacher for every 15 students. In addition to public schools, there are 33 active private and parochial schools offering elementary and secondary instruction in Knox County.

Post-secondary education is available at 10 public and private four-year institutions in Knox County and the surrounding area. The University of Tennessee is the largest, with an average enrollment of 26,000 students at its main campus in Knoxville. Four community colleges offer two-year programs for associate degrees, and several vocational and technical institutions also serve the area.

ARTS AND CULTURE

The Knoxville Symphony, the Knoxville Opera Company, and the East Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble are among the many exceptional arts organizations in Knoxville. Additional dance companies, civic choral groups, touring Broadway productions, ice shows, and concerts also help celebrate the arts. The newly renovated historic Tennessee Theater, with it’s original Wurlitzer organ, serves as a performing arts center for live entertainment. The Knoxville Museum of Art features changing exhibits throughout the year. The Beck Cultural Center, the Museum of Appalachia, and many historic sites celebrate the cultural heritage of the area.

RECREATION AND TOURISM

Knoxville/Knox County has approximately 5,723 acres of park and recreation space, including 27 recreation centers, six senior citizen centers, 144 playgrounds and parks, 103 tennis courts, 10 public golf courses, and over 60 miles of greenways and walking trails. Two major attractions for both young and old are the Knoxville Zoological Gardens and Ijams Nature Center. The Tennessee Smokies provide class AA professional baseball for East Tennesseans, while the Knoxville Ice Bears bring minor league hockey to local fans. National championship UT sports teams draw thousands of enthusiasts to games each year. Special seasonal events include the Dogwood Arts Festival in the spring, Sundown in the City in the summer, Boomsday in the fall, and Christmas In The City in December. The nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the country’s most visited national park with over 9.2 million visitors in 2004. Knoxvillians and visitors alike enjoy the beauty and leisure activities that can be found there and at the numerous state parks, lakes, and resorts which dot the area.

Knoxville supports an active tourism and convention trade. A new 500,000 square foot convention center on the World’s Fair Park site opened in 2002. The center includes spacious meeting rooms and a 500-seat lecture hall. Other local facilities are a large civic coliseum/auditorium, two exhibition halls, and a 25,000-seat arena. In 2003, travelers spent more than $599 million in Knox County, ranking it fourth in the state for visitor expenditures. Almost 9,000 people are employed in travel-related jobs in Knox County.

CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

The Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership has 2,047 members who participate in economic development, general commerce, and civic affairs. Around 150 civic groups and 270 neighborhood associations are active in the city and county. United Way and Community Shares support youth, family, and social service programs. Organizations such as the Community Action Committee and Child and Family Tennessee also offer local assistance. More than 430 churches, serving many faiths and denominations, meet the religious needs of the community.

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The January 2005 edition of Expansion Management magazine ranked Knoxville 14th in their “America’s 50 Hottest Cities” while Inc. Magazine ranked Knoxville 18th in their “Best Places for Doing Business in America” for 2005. These rankings are based on cost of doing business, job growth, educational attainment, and population. Knoxville’s favorable business climate has fostered an economy driven by health and education services, retail trade, government, and manufacturing operations. Many local companies are recognized as national and global business leaders, including Clayton Homes, Brunswick Corporation, Goody’s Family Clothing, Bush Beans, Pilot Corporation, and Ruby Tuesday.

Knox County offers 11 business parks and a Technology Corridor to meet a wide range of corporate facility needs. Investment in new or expanded industrial operations in the county in 2004 totaled $159 million and created 1,338 jobs. Across the metro area, new investment reached $463 million, netting 4,025 jobs.

Four regional malls and more than 150 shopping centers and factory outlets comprise the retail landscape of the Knoxville area. Total retail sales hit $8.8 billion in Knox County in 2004, up 26% from the previous year. The Knoxville MSA grossed over $12.1 billion, a 6% gain over 2003 figures. The Knoxville metro area is ranked 53rd nationwide in total retail sales according to Sales and Marketing Management.

INCOME

In 2003, Knoxville/Knox County per capita personal income was $30,901, a 2.9% increase from 2002. The 2002-03 state and national increase was 3.5% or $28,641 and 2.2% or $31,472 respectively. Between 1993 and 2003, the average annual growth rate of per capita income in Knox County was 3.8%. Knoxville/Knox County ranked 6th in the state in per capita income in 2003.

LABOR FORCE

The 2004 civilian labor force in the Knoxville MSA was 335,770, with an average unemployment rate of 4.1%. Knox County reported a total labor force of 212,450 and 3.9% unemployment. Rates for both Knox County and the MSA were lower than the statewide average of 5.0% and the national level of 5.4%.