The Museum of Appalachia, located in Norris, Tennessee, 20 miles (32 km) north of Knoxville, is a living history museum that interprets the pioneer and early 20th-century period of the Southern Appalachian region of the United States.

Visit this place →📍 Directions

3 on the National Register · #100 in TNHistoric places →

Know Norris

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Norris

City in Tennessee, United States

1933Established

1,599Population

8.3 sq miArea

1,073 ftElevation

Norris is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee. Its population was 1,599 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Norris was built as a model planned community by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 to house workers building Norris Dam on the Clinch River. It is named in honor of George W. Norris, a Senator from Nebraska, who was a long-term supporter of the TVA.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code37828

Area code865

Living in Norris

Housing in Norris

$496K▲ 4.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Norris home is worth about $496,000, up 4.7% in a year, 48% above the Tennessee typical home.

Only 2 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Norris

Full picture →

Most working residents leave Norris for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Knoxville (26%), Clinton (14%) and Oak Ridge (13%). Half commute less than 18 miles.

Knoxville

26%

Clinton

14%

Oak Ridge

13%

Alcoa

2%Work in townlive and work in Norris 18 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 461Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Norris →

Health in Norris

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 38% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Tennessee

8better than TN·5worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 13 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 5▼ 6 close Habits all close Care 6▲ 1 close Mind 1▲ 2 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.9%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethTN 14.6% · better 8.1%Fewer uninsured adultsTN 11.6% · better 12.7%More adults who have had cancerTN 8.2% · worse

Care nearby

Physicians Regional Medical CenterPowell · 11.5 mi · ER

Chs Clinton Clinic (Anderson County)Clinton · 4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Norris · CMS · HRSAHealth in Norris →

Natural hazards in Norris

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🥶 Cold waves

0Does Norris flood?no paid flood claims on record 2Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Norris

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Norris →

Climate in Norris

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Norris has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

49° / 30°Winter

69° / 45°Spring

86° / 64°Summer

70° / 47°Fall

How much snow does Norris get?About 3 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 25, with the last in spring around Apr 22.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Norris →

Schools in Norris

All Norris schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Norris’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 55% of Tennessee’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictAnderson CountySchools2

Norris Elementary AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 257 students Norris Middle School B-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 448 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within TN. Ratings are from neighbors.