City comparison
Knoxville, TN is about 150 miles (250 km) from Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Knoxville, TN to Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) has a population of 684,103, vs 191,857 in Knoxville — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) covers about 475 sq mi vs 99 sq mi for Knoxville.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Knoxville | Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,043/mo | $1,392/mo | 33.5% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Median home value | $184,200 | $351,400 | 90.8% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Median household income | $48,309 | $71,328 | 47.6% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.9 | 74.0 | ≈ equal (Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.1 | 95.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Knoxville, you'd need $110,724 in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Knoxville, TN is about 9.7% cheaper overall than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% higher in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) than in Knoxville. If you earn $80,000 in Knoxville, you'd need about $88,579 in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) to keep the same standard of living.