Neighborhood
South Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee US
South Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee offers a value-oriented profile with pricing about 3% below the city median and 3% above the state median. Gross yield is 6.1%, and prices are down 2.1% over the past year. The neighborhood has a Red Flag score of 56, walkability of 30, and education in the 51st percentile. A relative strength is the higher yield; a relative risk is the middling Red Flag score combined with lower walkability.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
4.19 mi²
ZIP Code
37920
County
Knox County
State
Tennessee
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$361,003
YoY-2.1%
Gross Rental Yield
6.1%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
Moderate
56 / 100
Walkability Score
30
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
51 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
55
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
South Knoxville Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for South Knoxville, Knoxville.
Unlock the South Knoxville 12-month price trend
See the full Verified vs Listed price history — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $361,003 | -2.1% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $220/sqft | -1.4% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,837/mo | +6.4% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 6.1% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 44 / 100 | Moderate |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 188 | -10.0% |
Is South Knoxville Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Tennessee crime context.
Unlock the South Knoxville hazard breakdown
See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 6.1%
Active transaction volume — 188 homes sold last period
Earthquake risk is Very High (80/100)
Tornado risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from South Knoxville's live DistrictScore metrics.
South Knoxville Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Tennessee-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20245.1 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-24.1% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the South Knoxville centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 19% of U.S. neighborhoods.
Tennessee Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26.2 | 5.9 | -11.8% |
| 2023 | 30.1 | 6.4 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 29.7 | 6.4 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 29.3 | 6.7 | -6.4% |
| 2020 | 31.7 | 6.7 | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 32.6 | 6.0 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; South Knoxville inherits the Tennessee figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 1
Zone 1 — Highest potential · South Knoxville
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSSuperfund (NPL)0.4 kmVery High
Industrial odor6 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near South Knoxville: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in South Knoxville
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI30
Car-Dependent
Walkability Score
5
Grocery
12
Dining
7
Schools
0
Universities
1
Hospitals
1
Pharmacies
12
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within South Knoxville's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
South Knoxville vs Knoxville vs Tennessee
How South Knoxville benchmarks against its city and state medians.
Unlock the South Knoxville benchmark
Compare South Knoxville against Knoxville and Tennessee medians — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & Tennessee tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.46% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
No state income tax — rental income is not taxed at the state level.
State Capital Gains
No state capital gains tax.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: 0.37%.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents6
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & Tennessee property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
South Knoxville Real Estate FAQ
South Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee has a value-oriented profile. Pricing is about 3% below the city median and 3% above the state median, gross yield is 6.1%, and prices are down 2.1% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 56, walkability is 30, and education is in the 51st percentile.
Neighborhoods near South Knoxville
Compare South Knoxville with nearby neighborhoods in Knoxville.
Unlock deeper insights on South Knoxville
Deeper data. Smarter decisions. Stronger returns.
Full Risk Reports
Tract-level hazards
Investment Score
AI-driven analysis
Export & Reports
PDF & Excel
Priority Support
Fast-track help
Get Pro Access7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.