Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Knoxville, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Knoxville, TN by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $17,926, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Knoxville, TN edges Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Knoxville, TN carries the lighter load at $1,825 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while Knoxville, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,708.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 100% in Knoxville, TN.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 173.1% more per capita than Knoxville ($31,022/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 | $373 | $748 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $48,542 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $3,851 |
| Other | $4,617 | $6,214 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $258 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $0 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $573 |
| Health | $672 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $607 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $1,708 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $3,667 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $224 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,554 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $1,080 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $7,255 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.