Population 33,079 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Oak Ridge
Household size in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.46 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Oak Ridge is a place of small households, averaging 2.36 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has crept up from 2.31 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 40.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.6 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.6 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.8 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.3 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Oak Ridge skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.8, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 43.1 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 9.6% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 9.4% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 9.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Oak Ridge (12.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Knoxville area (9.4%). The single-parent share is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Oak Ridge
Renters in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7% | 28.6% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.1% | 31.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.6% | 31.1% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.1% | 29.6% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Oak Ridge is about as common as it is nationally: 34.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Knoxville area overall (29.6%). About four in ten owners (40.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 9.9% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 11.7% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Oak Ridge: 8.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1985 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Oak Ridge is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1964 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the north. Only three of the 202 Tennessee cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $707 | $707 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $891 | $787 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $908 | $882 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,194 | $1,212 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$487 | +$505 | +$526 | +$606 |
The median renter in Oak Ridge pays $1,194 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $487 a month from 2006–10, a 69% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Oak Ridge
Bachelor's degrees in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9% | 26.7% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 27.7% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.8% | 30.0% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.8% | 33.5% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Oak Ridge than nationally: 39.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 84.6% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 86.9% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 88.9% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 90.9% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +6.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Oak Ridge have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Knoxville area. The share with a diploma is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Oak Ridge
| Period | Oak Ridge | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 7.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 8.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Oak Ridge runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Oak Ridge compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | 2.36 | 41.8 | 12.4% | 34.1% | 8.0% | 1968 | $1,194 | 39.8% | 91.9% | 3.7% |
| Oliver Springs | 2.66 | 44.4 | 8.2% | 22.4% | 8.3% | 1978 | $697 | 18.5% | 87.6% | 4.3% |
| Windrock | 2.65 | 40.3 | 17.8% | 17.0% | 13.6% | 1991 | $603 | 5.5% | 83.6% | 3.7% |
| Edgemoor | 2.07 | 38.1 | 17.9% | 33.8% | 3.7% | 1994 | $795 | 24.4% | 100.0% | 2.1% |
| Kelley Town | 2.58 | 49.6 | 6.6% | 11.1% | 12.9% | 1985 | $650 | 15.1% | 88.9% | 7.9% |
| Jonesville | 2.34 | 49.0 | 2.8% | 13.8% | 6.4% | 1986 | $1,028 | 46.8% | 95.0% | 5.4% |
| Laurel Grove | 2.60 | 41.2 | 16.2% | 18.2% | 13.1% | 1987 | $629 | 5.7% | 82.3% | 3.6% |
| Clinton | 2.46 | 43.8 | 9.7% | 26.3% | 8.3% | 1979 | $1,063 | 22.8% | 94.1% | 3.3% |
| Coalfield | 2.96 | 43.6 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 13.9% | 1985 | $879 | 33.2% | 92.3% | 1.5% |
| Union | 2.44 | 43.8 | 4.5% | 15.3% | 7.9% | 1998 | $648 | 17.9% | 88.3% | 7.7% |
| Briceville | 2.56 | 45.5 | 11.5% | 20.2% | 13.4% | 1979 | $766 | 11.8% | 78.8% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shelbyville, TN · Englewood, FL · Ephrata, PA · Erie, CO · Fairmont, WV · Ferry Pass, FL · Flemington, NJ · Foothill Farms, CA · Forest Park, GA · Franklin Town, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Oak Ridge. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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