Johnson City, TN vs Knoxville, TN: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Johnson City and Knoxville, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Johnson City is the safer city
Johnson City scores 63/100 (grade C) versus 48/100 (grade D) for Knoxville — a 15-point gap. Knoxville's violent-crime rate is 1.6× Johnson City. Across the 8 offense categories, Johnson City has the lower rate in 5.
Johnson City, TN
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 74,280
- Violent / 100k
- 416
- Property / 100k
- 2,138
- In Tennessee
- #9 of 14
Knoxville, TN
Crime Index
- Population
- 200,645
- Violent / 100k
- 685
- Property / 100k
- 2,358
- In Tennessee
- #11 of 14
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Johnson City | Knoxville | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 63C | 48D | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 416 | 685 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 2,138 | 2,358 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 2.7 | 8 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 2,554 | 3,043 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Johnson City | Knoxville |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 2.7 | 8 |
| Rape | 74 | 73.3 |
| Robbery | 35 | 55.8 |
| Aggravated assault | 304 | 548 |
| Burglary | 190 | 329 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,811 | 1,742 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 124 | 286 |
| Arson | 13.5 | 1.5 |
Crime trends
Johnson City
Knoxville
Frequently asked questions
Is Johnson City or Knoxville safer?
Which has more violent crime, Johnson City or Knoxville?
What are the odds of violent crime in Johnson City vs Knoxville?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Johnson City & Knoxville
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