Jackson, TN vs Knoxville, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Knoxville, TN outspends Jackson, TN by a wide margin per resident — $17,926 versus $3,221, a 457% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Jackson, TN edges Knoxville, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 51/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Jackson, TN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Knoxville, TN carries $1,825 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jackson, TN leads with education at $2,554 per resident, while Knoxville, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,708.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Jackson, TN and 100% in Knoxville, TN.
Summary
Knoxville spends 82.0% more per capita than Jackson ($14,706/person difference). Jackson, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $748 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $280 | $48,542 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,851 |
| Other | $0 | $6,214 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $235 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $258 |
| Highways & Roads | $20 | $0 |
| Education | $2,554 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $573 |
| Health | $10 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $607 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,708 |
| Housing | $198 | $3,667 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $224 |
| Utilities | $112 | $2,554 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,080 |
| Other | $90 | $7,255 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.