Knoxville made a few appearances on U.S. News top places to live lists. Here's where we landed!
Just how amazing a place is Knoxville to live? U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2023-24 lists of best places to live, and Knoxville made promising showings in multiple areas, including cracking the top 10 on one of the national lists.
The Knoxville metropolitan area was ranked as part of 150 of the most populated areas in the United States based on quality of life, job market and the desirability to live in the area. Our overall rating was 6.5 out of 10. Definitely not bad considering the highest rating any area received was 6.9 (Green Bay, Wisconsin) and the lowest was 5 (San Juan, Puerto Rico).
"Sitting on the banks of the Tennessee River, Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee. But this city is more than just a college town. It's a multicultural community that embraces an array of pastimes," U.S News wrote.
Knoxville was the No. 1 place to live in Tennessee against Chattanooga (No. 2), Nashville (No. 3) and Memphis (No. 4), and claimed the No. 16 spot as one of the fastest-growing places in the country.
Here’s how Knoxville fared on other lists, including best places to live, cheapest places to live and best places to retire.
Cheapest places to live – No. 10 in America
Knoxville received its highest national ranking on the cheapest places to live list. Knoxville landed at No. 10 on the list, which reported the top 25 most affordable cities in the country.
“(Knoxville) residents enjoy a cost of living that's lower than the national average, which is reflected in reasonable housing, utility and transportation costs,” noted U.S. News. “The average cost of a home and the average monthly rent are well below those of many other large metro areas.”
The cost of living in Knoxville is 15.1% below the national average, according to business and personal finance site Kiplinger. The site’s analysis is based on the Council for Community and Economic Research's cost of living index.
This might be surprising to those who recently moved to town, given that the Knox County housing market saw a significant home price increase from 2021 to 2022. The median price for houses in Knox County rose 16% ($286,500 to $338,000), Knox News reported in February. Rent for Knoxville apartments has been on the rise, too, jumping 12.75% from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023, Knox News reported in May.
Chattanooga landed at No. 17 on the cheapest places to live list. Nearby cities Hickory, North Carolina (No. 1) and Huntsville, Alabama (No. 4) also made the cut.
Best places to live – No. 21
Out of 150 of the most populous metro areas in the country that were analyzed, Knoxville nearly made it into the top 20 of best places to live. U.S. News ranked Knoxville at No. 21, beating Chattanooga (No. 48), Nashville (No. 61) and Memphis (No. 144).
“One of the most beneficial things about Knoxville is that the area offers the amenities of life in a bigger town, but residents are never too far away from peace and quiet, be it a farm or the rolling foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains,” U.S. News wrote.
Green Bay, Wisconsin, took the top spot, followed by Huntsville, Alabama (No. 2), the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina (No. 3), Boulder, Colorado (No. 4) and Sarasota, Florida (No. 5).
Best places to retire – No. 43
While Knoxville might be one of the best cities to live in Tennessee and the country, it might not be quite as good for those ready to enjoy the third act of their lives. Knoxville’s lowest U.S. News ranking is on the best places to retire list, with the city coming in at No. 43 out of 150.
“Knoxville's population is fairly young, which is due in part to the large number of college students, as well as a high number of young families,” U.S. News explained.
In 2021, U.S. News ranked Knoxville as the 20th best city for retirement. On the other end, Knoxville placed at No. 17 for being best suited for young professionals, despite local data showing a slow increase of that demographic.
On the 2023-24 best places to retire in the country list, Knoxville still outranked Chattanooga (No. 71), Nashville (No. 84) and Memphis (No. 134).
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville named top 25 place to live in 2023 U.S. News rankings
