Special Report

These Are the Counties in the Knoxville, TN Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: January 14, 2022 4:15 am

As the omicron variant spreads, new daily cases of COVID-19 have hit new highs in the United States and the virus continues to claim lives. So far, 833,519 Americans have died from the virus — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Knoxville metropolitan area, located in Tennessee, a total of 2,343 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 270 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 255 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader Knoxville metro area comprises nine counties or county equivalents — and of them, Grainger County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Grainger County stands at 395 for every 100,000 people.

Though it has the highest per capita death rate in the Knoxville metro area, Grainger County ranks among the middle 50% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Jan. 12, 2022.

These are all the counties in Tennessee where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).