Knoxville, TN vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 23% more per resident than Knoxville, TN: $22,111 against $17,926. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Knoxville, TN — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Knoxville, TN and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Memphis spends 18.9% more per capita than Knoxville ($4,185/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $748 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $115 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $48,542 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,851 | $2,077 |
| Other | $6,214 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $258 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $573 | $630 |
| Health | $0 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $607 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,708 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $3,667 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $224 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,554 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,080 | $1,158 |
| Other | $7,255 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.