Knoxville, TN Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Knoxville, TN

Is Knoxville, TN safe to live in?

By the numbers, Knoxville earns an overall crime grade of B-, and the city-wide safety rating across all 36 analyzed neighborhoods lands at a B (Safe). That means the majority of Knoxville — roughly 72% of neighborhoods — fall into the A or B safety tier. Specifically, 20 neighborhoods (55.6%) earned an A grade and 6 neighborhoods (16.7%) earned a B grade. Only 3 neighborhoods (8.3%) received a D grade, and no neighborhood received an F. Areas like Whittington Creek (A+), Timberlake (A+), Lakemoor Hills (A+), Sequoyah Hills (A), and North Knoxville (A-) consistently reflect low crime environments. For context, higher-concern areas such as Five Points (D-) and Morningside (D-) together represent a small fraction of the city's total neighborhoods. Overall, the data supports Knoxville as a reasonably safe mid-sized city, particularly if you choose your neighborhood carefully.

What is the crime rate in Knoxville, TN?

Knoxville's crime landscape is best understood through its neighborhood-level grade distribution rather than a single citywide number. Across 36 neighborhoods analyzed, the breakdown is as follows: 55.6% graded A, 16.7% graded B, 19.4% graded C, 8.3% graded D, and 0% graded F. That means more than half of all Knoxville neighborhoods are in the lowest-crime tier. The combined share of neighborhoods rated D or F — often called higher-crime areas — stands at just 8%. Neighborhoods like Burlington (C-) and Parkridge (C-) sit in the middle of the range, while Park City (D+), Morningside (D-), and Five Points (D-) represent the highest-concern zones. Knoxville's 22.5% poverty rate and 5.5% unemployment rate are socioeconomic factors that researchers consistently link to elevated crime in specific pockets of a city, which helps explain why certain neighborhoods diverge sharply from the city's otherwise solid safety profile.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Knoxville?

Ten neighborhoods stand out as Knoxville's safest based on 2026 crime data:

1. Whittington Creek — Grade A+, median income $178,341 (population: 1,321)
2. Timberlake — Grade A+, median income $125,675 (population: 286)
3. Lakemoor Hills — Grade A+, median income $112,019 (population: 321)
4. Island Home — Grade A, median income $59,253
5. University of Tennessee — Grade A, median income $21,975 (population: 6,096)
6. Lyons View — Grade A, median income $103,022
7. Sterchi Hills — Grade A, median income $76,080
8. Sequoyah Hills — Grade A, median income $99,283
9. Oakwood — Grade A, median income $49,407
10. North Knoxville — Grade A-, median income $42,958

Notably, the University of Tennessee neighborhood earns a Grade A despite having a lower median income ($21,975), suggesting that income alone doesn't determine neighborhood safety. Whittington Creek's combination of an A+ grade and the city's highest neighborhood median income ($178,341) makes it a standout for families prioritizing both safety and affluence.

Which neighborhoods in Knoxville have the highest crime?

Three neighborhoods received a D grade in 2026 — the lowest tier present in Knoxville's data, since no neighborhood earned an F. Five Points and Morningside both carry a D-, the weakest grades in the city, while Park City comes in at D+. A step above, Burlington and Parkridge each received a C-, placing them in the moderate-to-elevated concern range. Collectively, these five neighborhoods represent the areas where residents and visitors should exercise the most caution. If you're evaluating a rental or home purchase in or near these zones, cross-referencing the interactive crime map with specific block-level data can give you a more granular picture before making a decision.

Is Knoxville a good place to live in 2026?

Knoxville presents a mixed but generally positive picture for prospective residents. On the safety front, 72% of its neighborhoods are rated A or B — a strong showing for a city of over 603,000 people. The median home value of $142,118 is well below the national median, making homeownership significantly more attainable than in many comparable cities, and the median rent of $883 reinforces Knoxville's affordability. The tradeoffs are real: a 22.5% poverty rate is substantially above the national average, and a 5.5% unemployment rate reflects ongoing economic challenges in parts of the metro. That economic stress correlates with the D-grade crime levels found in neighborhoods like Five Points and Morningside. However, for residents who settle in areas like Sequoyah Hills (A), Sterchi Hills (A), or North Knoxville (A-) — all of which have median incomes near or above the city's $41,598 median — Knoxville offers a compelling combination of affordability, safety, and access to the natural beauty of East Tennessee.

How does Knoxville's crime compare across its neighborhoods?

The spread of crime grades across Knoxville's 36 neighborhoods is notably wide, which is typical for mid-sized cities with both affluent suburbs and economically distressed urban pockets. The A-grade tier dominates at 55.6% of neighborhoods, meaning the modal experience for a Knoxville resident is living in a low-crime area. The C-grade tier (19.4%) — which includes Burlington and Parkridge — represents neighborhoods that are neither the safest nor the most dangerous, often characterized by mixed housing stock and moderate economic stress. The D-grade tier (8.3%) is small but meaningful, concentrated in areas where the city's 22.5% poverty rate is most acutely felt. The complete absence of F-grade neighborhoods is a positive signal: even Knoxville's highest-crime areas have not reached the most severe safety threshold. Using the crime map to compare specific streets within these broader neighborhood grades will give you the most accurate picture for day-to-day decision-making.