Population 3,522 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rocky Top
Household size in Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.46 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Rocky Top run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of the Knoxville area. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.62, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 40.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.3 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.0 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.9 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.2, Rocky Top is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 9.6% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 9.4% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 9.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Rocky Top: 8.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Rocky Top
Renters in Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 28.6% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 31.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 31.1% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 29.6% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.5% of households in Rocky Top rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over half of owners (51.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 9.9% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 11.7% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Rocky Top: 13.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1985 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Rocky Top are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in the wider Knoxville area, where the median home dates to 1985.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $496 | $707 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $563 | $787 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $634 | $882 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $967 | $1,212 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$472 | +$505 | +$526 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rocky Top costs $967 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Rocky Top
Bachelor's degrees in Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 26.7% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 27.7% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 30.0% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 33.5% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Rocky Top: 10.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.4% | 84.6% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 86.9% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.6% | 88.9% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.0% | 90.9% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +6.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Rocky Top never finished high school, more than nationally: 86.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Rocky Top
| Period | Rocky Top | Knoxville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 7.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rocky Top is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the wider Knoxville area (3.6%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Rocky Top 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Top | 2.47 | 45.2 | 8.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 1980 | $967 | 10.3% | 86.0% | 5.5% |
| Lake City | 2.31 | 42.4 | 13.9% | 38.4% | 14.0% | 1975 | $865 | 7.9% | 83.6% | 5.6% |
| Slatestone | 2.65 | 49.4 | 9.6% | 20.8% | 15.3% | 1978 | $893 | 20.3% | 77.8% | 5.9% |
| Norris | 2.56 | 44.5 | 11.0% | 17.5% | 11.0% | 1989 | $982 | 26.1% | 91.7% | 3.5% |
| Seeber Flats | 2.45 | 50.2 | 9.7% | 19.7% | 16.6% | 1977 | $834 | 16.3% | 82.3% | 3.3% |
| Caryville | 2.39 | 46.2 | 15.0% | 23.1% | 17.5% | 1985 | $951 | 10.8% | 86.5% | 3.9% |
| Grantsboro | 1.91 | 58.5 | 7.1% | 28.1% | 34.2% | 1994 | $594 | 18.4% | 92.5% | 2.8% |
| Briceville | 2.56 | 45.5 | 11.5% | 20.2% | 13.4% | 1979 | $766 | 11.8% | 78.8% | 4.3% |
| Pine Crest | 1.78 | 60.8 | 7.7% | 27.5% | 38.2% | 1993 | $597 | 20.0% | 93.9% | 0.0% |
| Jacksboro | 2.36 | 40.7 | 11.5% | 29.4% | 8.9% | 1988 | $793 | 15.0% | 91.1% | 2.4% |
| Laurel Grove | 2.60 | 41.2 | 16.2% | 18.2% | 13.1% | 1987 | $629 | 5.7% | 82.3% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Colfax, LA · Dillsboro, IN · Speedwell, TN · Sabetha, KS · Osage City, KS · Helena Valley Northeast, MT · Hawthorne, NV · Walters, OK · Graysville, TN · Fort Recovery, OH
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 Rocky Top. 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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