Knox County, Tennessee Eviction Risk: Very Low

Knox County carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.3/10 (Low) across its 6 tracked cities, placing it at rank 62 of 95 Tennessee counties, where rank 1 is the highest risk. That means 61 counties across Tennessee eviction laws present worse conditions for landlords, while 33 are more landlord-friendly, putting Knox squarely in the middle third of the state. With an average rent of $1,278 and a renter share of 46.7%, the county offers a meaningful rental market without the elevated risk profile that haunts larger metro areas.

The county-wide average of 2.3/10 obscures real variation at the neighborhood level. City scores inside Knox County range from 2.2 to 3.5, meaning an investor choosing between communities within the same county faces materially different risk exposures. Operating here is generally workable, but location selection within the county matters more than the headline number suggests.

The cities inside Knox County

Mascot carries the highest risk score in the county at 3.5/10, followed by Powell and Karns, each at 3.3/10. Powell's population of 13,739 and Karns's 4,115 residents are smaller markets, but landlords there should expect a higher likelihood of collection difficulty and longer tenant disputes relative to the county average. John Sevier scores 3.2/10 and Farragut scores 3.0/10 with a population of 24,634, making Farragut the mid-risk suburban option for investors seeking scale.

Knoxville anchors the county on the low-risk end, scoring 2.2/10 with a population of 195,185. That concentration of population at the lowest risk score is what pulls the county average down, and it explains why Knoxville is often the preferred entry point for investors new to this market. Risk is genuinely hyper-local across Knox County: the gap between Mascot and Knoxville is wider than the difference between Knox County and several peer counties statewide.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Tennessee state law, specifically T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), Knox County landlords serve a 7-day notice for nonpayment of rent and a 14-day notice for material lease breaches, both governed by TCA § 66-28-505. A non-curable breach carries only a 3-day notice under TCA § 66-28-517. Once you file, an uncontested case resolves in roughly 21 to 45 days; a contested case stretches to 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees run $200 to $300, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500. Anyone planning a rental portfolio here should review the full Tennessee eviction process before acquiring, since timelines and costs compound quickly in contested matters. Tennessee has no statewide rent cap and does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Knox County landlords face no additional local rent restrictions. Investors evaluating exposure should also consult Tennessee eviction costs to model worst-case holding periods during a contested filing.

With a poverty rate of 17.4% across the county and nearly half of all residents renting, the risk profile varies sharply by city; the grid above shows each community's individual score so landlords can pinpoint where conditions are most favorable before committing capital.