The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Knoxville For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Knoxville that are the real pits.

RoadSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Knoxville's neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You've got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.

It seems as if there's a neighborhood for everyone in Knoxville.

And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Knoxville. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Knoxville neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Knoxville hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Knoxville area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Five Points ranks way above the rest.

We examined 34 of Knoxville's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Knoxville's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Knoxville for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Old North Knoxville looks to be the worst neighborhood in Knoxville.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Knoxville that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from worst to best. Looking for places to avoid outside of the city? You can also check out the worst suburbs of Knoxville.

For more Tennessee reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Knoxville

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Knoxville For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 868
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $77,045 (7th worst)
Median Income: $21,228 (3rd worst)
More on Old North Knoxville:  Data

Old North Knoxville Knoxville, TN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,887
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
More on Old City:  Data

#2 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,224
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
More on Downtown:  Data

#3 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,075
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $71,158 (6th worst)
Median Income: $26,871 (12th worst)
More on Old Sevier:  Data

#4 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 818
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $64,378 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $23,489 (5th worst)
More on Beaumont:  Data

#5 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 8,686
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $86,621 (9th worst)
Median Income: $27,681 (13th worst)
More on Southknoxville:  Data

#6 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,628
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $90,304 (10th worst)
Median Income: $39,073 (2worst)
More on Holston Hills:  Data

#7 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,536
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $51,011 (worst)
Median Income: $18,258 (worst)
More on Mechanicsville:  Data

Mechanicsville Knoxville, TN

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 566
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $121,249 (18th worst)
Median Income: $40,770 (23rd worst)
More on Halls Crossroads:  Data

#9 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,522
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $98,267 (12th worst)
Median Income: $28,797 (14th worst)
More on North Hills:  Data

#10 Worst Neighborhood In Knoxville

Methodology: How we determined the worst Knoxville neighborhoods in 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Knoxville:

  • High unemployment (Less jobs)
  • Low median income (Less pay)
  • Low population density (No things to do)
  • Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here)
  • High crime (Estimated)

Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee for each of these criteria from worst to best.

Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".

The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Knoxville.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Knoxville to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 34 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Knoxville

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Knoxville with Old North Knoxville landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Knoxville aren't all bad. Five Points takes the cake as the best place to live in Knoxville.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more Tennessee reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Knoxville For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Old North Knoxville 868 $77,045 $21,228
2 Old City 2,887 $68,199 $25,421
3 Downtown 3,224 $68,199 $25,421
4 Old Sevier 1,075 $71,158 $26,871
5 Beaumont 818 $64,378 $23,489
6 Southknoxville 8,686 $86,621 $27,681
7 Holston Hills 4,628 $90,304 $39,073
8 Mechanicsville 3,536 $51,011 $18,258
9 Halls Crossroads 566 $121,249 $40,770
10 North Hills 2,522 $98,267 $28,797
11 Western Heights 2,801 $61,111 $20,505
12 South Knoxville 28,682 $118,327 $32,785
13 Norwood 29,798 $103,606 $44,660
14 Burlington 6,187 $83,786 $30,139
15 Lonsdale 13,278 $91,135 $23,168
16 Lake Forest 5,911 $158,771 $35,516
17 West Knoxville 45,979 $238,722 $52,085
18 North Knoxville 42,454 $112,359 $36,308
19 Forest Heights 957 $255,731 $55,661
20 East Knoxville 20,794 $193,506 $36,682
21 Marble City 4,216 $255,731 $43,193
22 Rocky Hill 2,135 $187,957 $78,104
23 Deane Hill 6,908 $241,037 $72,576
24 Park City 3,603 $165,209 $25,643
25 Whittle Springs 8,833 $104,175 $34,082
26 Bearden 4,215 $255,731 $87,724
27 Colonial Village 4,814 $121,779 $42,783
28 Lakemoor Hills 1,934 $454,418 $74,274
29 Fountain City 26,120 $140,310 $45,135
30 Inskip 20,491 $119,126 $39,540
31 Lyons View 759 $454,418 $87,431
32 Morningside 1,560 $457,125 $26,608
33 Parkridge 4,131 $279,807 $24,933
34 Five Points 2,647 $307,891 $25,624

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Knoxville.

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.