News
Davidson County Tops 2024 List of Tennessee’s Fastest Growing Counties May 16, 2025 Census Bureau estimates show that Davidson County (Nashville) added the most population in Tennessee in 2024. International migration adjustments were a big factor as it outpaced Rutherford County for the first time since 2015.
Shelby County’s 2024 Population Decrease is the Nation’s Largest April 10, 2025 When a Tennessee county leads the nation in population loss, it grabs headlines. We analyzed the numbers behind this decline, compared them to past leaders and to other areas of the country. While these losses may continue, they likely won’t top the national charts in the future.
Tennessee’s Births are Up – Now the Rest of the Story March 13, 2025 After a decade of remaining almost unchanged, Tennessee births have grown over four consecutive years. This occurred even as fertility rates continue a steady decline. Our state and regional analysis delves into the factors driving this new trend.
International Migration Boosts Tennessee’s Population Gains in 2024 December 20, 2024 Tennessee's population grew by 80,000 people in 2024. Part of that increase is attributed to changes in the way international migration is estimated for the nation. We took a closer look at the new numbers.
Revisions to Tennessee Special Census Procedures Posted November 13, 2024 Updates to the state’s special census procedures were just released. We have an overview of the changes and outline any impacts for communities currently conducting an enumeration.
Nashville Rebounds and Tennessee’s Midsize Cities Shine in 2023 Population Estimates September 25, 2024 We stepped back to examine how population changes across Tennessee's 345 cities and towns have unfolded over this decade and found the state's midsized cities leading the pack. That comes as Nashville claimed the top spot as the state's fastest-gaining in 2022 and 2023. TNSDC Toplines
8,396 Tennessee Data Center Jobs
were reported in the second quarter of 2024. The state’s employment in the sector has grown by 31 percent since 2020 and is the 17th largest nationally. Average monthly data center pay is more than $11,100—about twice the state’s $5,730 average—but the capital-intensive industry employs about half the number of employees at a location compared to a typical business. Davidson County holds more than a third of the sector’s jobs, but gains since 2020 were concentrated in Hamilton, Shelby, Rutherford and Williamson counties. A large Meta project in Gallatin and an expanded xAI footprint in Memphis aren’t yet reflected in the Census Bureau figures.
63.5 Percent Labor Force Participation Rate
reported in the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) was trending upward and is nearly four points higher than the state’s average annual figure (59.7) reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is drifting downward. That difference was noted in a recent Boyd Center analysis of Tennessee’s Post-Pandemic Labor Force Recovery. A 7.7 percent job increase against a 2.1 percent population gain over the period from 2021 to 2023 indicates the state’s labor market kept pace with increased demand. The ACS shows that the most pronounced increases in labor force participation came from 16- to 24-year-olds and among workers in middle and west Tennessee.
Featured Tools
2020-2023 Municipal Population Change Viewer
Explore the fastest growing cities, suburbs, towns, and rural communities in Tennessee with our interactive application. This tool provides insights into population changes for each of the state’s 345 municipalities from 2020 to 2023, allowing users to filter by locale type and sort by fastest or slowest gaining areas.
County Population Estimate Dashboard
Our County Population Estimates and Components of Change Dashboard provides county- and regional-level population insights from 2020 through the latest year in the estimate series. Data about population and components of change are included, along with regional and state-level tallies of key performance indicators.
State and National Population Estimates Dashboard (v. 2024)
Center of Population of U.S. States and Counties
This interactive application shows the mean center of population for each state and county in the U.S. in 2000, 2010 and 2020. The application visualizes the degree of population shift each decade using lines that connect the center to its prior location.