In 2025, Knoxville police reported 1,374 violent crimes (685 per 100,000 residents), including 16 murders, 112 robberies and 1,099 aggravated assaults, plus 4,734 property crimes, according to FBI data.
Population covered: 200,645. Violent-crime rate rank: 3 of 6 large Tennessee cities on this site (1 = highest rate). Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency TN0470100, January–December 2025.
| City | Violent / 100k | Violent | Murders | Property / 100k | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 1,853 | 11,239 | 188 | 4,972 | Live |
| Nashville | 961 | 6,908 | 57 | 3,863 | Live |
| Knoxville | 685 | 1,374 | 16 | 2,359 | Totals |
| Chattanooga | 680 | 1,318 | 17 | 3,311 | Totals |
| Murfreesboro | 404 | 696 | 3 | 1,550 | Totals |
| Clarksville | 366 | 698 | 19 | 1,284 | Totals |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer agency counts for 2025 (all 12 months reported unless noted), retrieved October 7, 2026. Rates use the population the FBI lists for each police agency.
Knoxville's violent-crime rate of 685 per 100,000 people in 2025 was 38% higher than the Tennessee rate (497) and 2.1 times the U.S. rate (320). That works out to one reported violent crime for every 146 residents, or about 26.4 a week.
Among the 362 cities with full-year FBI numbers on CityCrimeMap, Knoxville ranks 72nd for violent crime, in the higher half, and 84th for murder (16 murders, 8 per 100,000).
Aggravated assaults made up 80% of Knoxville's violent crimes and robberies 8%, a smaller robbery share than the national 15%.
Property crime ran 2,359 per 100,000, 43% higher than Tennessee overall. Knoxville police logged 572 vehicle thefts (285 per 100,000, 141st of 351; Tennessee: 228) and 661 burglaries (329 per 100,000, 60% higher than the state).
The closest city we cover is Chattanooga, 96 miles southwest; its violent-crime rate (680) is about even with Knoxville's.
Out-of-state cities near Knoxville's size (200,645 residents): Columbus, GA at 366 violent crimes per 100,000 and Grand Rapids, MI at 894.
By the FBI's 2025 numbers, Knoxville had 685 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 38% higher than the statewide 497. It is 3rd highest of the 6 Tennessee cities on this site; Memphis is highest at 1,853. A city-wide rate does not tell you about a single block.
Knoxville police reported 16 murders for 2025, a rate of 8 per 100,000 residents. The Tennessee rate was 6.6 and the national rate 4.1.
572 vehicles were reported stolen in Knoxville in 2025, 285 per 100,000 residents. That is 47% higher than the national rate of 195 and ranks 141st of 351 cities on this site.