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Moving to
Powell.
Powell is an unincorporated community in Knox County, TN. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Powell
Powell is an unincorporated community in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Powell deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, above-average rainfall, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Powell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Powell
Based on Powell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,552
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,040 a year
- 47% of Powell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,940
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,276/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,276 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $299,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $299,400 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Knox County is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Knox County (county-wide)
Safety
168 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Powell doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Knox County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 720/100k · Policed by Knox County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 15% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Obed Wild & Scenic River (32 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Powell's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,276/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Powell
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