Johnson City, TN vs Knoxville, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Johnson City, TN outspends Knoxville, TN by a wide margin per resident — $29,659 versus $17,926, a 65% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Knoxville, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 51/100 (grade C) against 23/100 (grade F) for Johnson City, TN — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Johnson City, TN carries the lighter load at $1,609 per resident versus $1,825 for Knoxville, TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Johnson City, TN leads with education at $14,043 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 Johnson City, TN and 100% in Knoxville, TN.
Summary
Johnson City spends 65.4% more per capita than Knoxville ($11,733/person difference). Knoxville, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 51/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $228 | $748 |
| Income Tax | $2,303 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $21,169 | $48,542 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,131 | $3,851 |
| Other | $3,770 | $6,214 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $304 | $258 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Education | $14,043 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,007 | $573 |
| Health | $322 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $92 | $607 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,227 | $1,708 |
| Housing | $2,442 | $3,667 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $224 |
| Utilities | $3,744 | $2,554 |
| Interest on Debt | $628 | $1,080 |
| Other | $4,657 | $7,255 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.