Knoxville, TN vs Clarksville, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Knoxville, TN outspends Clarksville, TN by a wide margin per resident — $17,926 versus $8,523, a 110% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Clarksville, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Knoxville, TN — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Clarksville, TN carries the lighter load at $833 per resident versus $1,825 for Knoxville, TN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Knoxville, TN at $1,708 per resident and in Clarksville, TN at $611.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Knoxville, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Clarksville, TN relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Knoxville spends 110.3% more per capita than Clarksville ($9,403/person difference). Clarksville, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $748 | $118 |
| Income Tax | $115 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $48,542 | $1,799 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,851 | $2,073 |
| Other | $6,214 | $3,159 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $258 | $299 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $573 | $1,038 |
| Hospitals | $607 | $137 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,708 | $611 |
| Housing | $3,667 | $2,349 |
| Sewerage | $224 | $219 |
| Utilities | $2,554 | $1,345 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,080 | $444 |
| Other | $7,255 | $2,036 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.