Tennessee Population Growth 2000-2010

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Middle Division

The population buildup around Nashville helps explain the large number of counties experiencing growth in middle Tennessee. Though Davidson County (Nashville) had a smaller growth rate than the state average, four suburban counties in the Nashville MSA were among the top 10 counties in the state in terms of relative numbers of people added since 2000. Each of these counties experienced growth rates of more than 20 percent during this 10-year period. They are a part of what has become one of the most economically vibrant and dynamically growing areas in the country. Nashville is characterized by a highly diversified economy, a broadening skyline, entrepreneurial successes, many visitors, and lots of publicity. 

The centrality associated with the city — it is a transportation and commercial hub, the seat of state government, the center of the country-music industry, the home of professional football and hockey teams, and the home of many profitable financial institutions — has enabled it to dominate and overwhelm the smaller towns and cities in the area.  

Several other factors have encouraged growth in the Nashville metropolitan area. The acquisition of manufacturing facilities like the Nissan plant near Smyrna, a Dell plant near Lebanon, a large DuPont plant in the Old Hickory area, and the north-south American Airlines hub at the Nashville Metropolitan Airport have created new jobs and accelerated population growth. The Nashville MSA is expected to have close to 1,400,000 people by 2020, up from 1,357,105 in 2010. The prospects are bright for even more economic growth and commercial success. The rapid growth of the Nashville metropolitan area raises many questions about urban sprawl over Davidson County and its contiguous counties and mushrooming subdivisions throughout the area. High ranking in population, income, and employment growth often leads to high expectations for public services and to financial stress in providing those services.

continued: Eastern Division
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Though Davidson County (Nashville) had a smaller growth rate than the state average, four suburban counties in the Nashville MSA were among the top 10 counties in the state in terms of relative numbers of people added since 2000.

Middle Division Counties: Population Change and Rank, 2000-2010

       Census ;Change
          2000           2010                         2000           2010
County Number Rank   Number Rank   Number Rank   % Rank
Bedford 37,586 38   45,058 33   7,472 21   19.9 11
Cannon 12,826 79   13,801 79   975 61   7.6 44
Cheatham 35,912 40   39,105 39   3,193 35   8.9 37
Clay 7,976 88   7,861 90   -115 89   -1.4 89
Coffee 48,014 28   52,796 27   4,782 27   10.0 30
Davidson 569,891 2   626,681 2   56,790 2   10.0 30
Dekalb 17,423 71   18,723 68   1,300 57   7.5 46
Dickson 43,156 31   49,666 31   6,510 23   15.1 18
Fentress 16,625 73   17,959 72   1,334 55   8.0 41
Franklin 39,270 34   41,052 36   1,782 49   4.5 61
Giles 29,447 48   29,485 50   38 85   0.1 87
Gundy 14,332 78   13,703 80   -629 91   -4.4 94
Hickman 22,295 59   24,690 59   2,395 38   10.7 28
Houston 8,088 87   8,426 87   338 78   4.2 64
Humphreys 17,929 66   18,538 69   609 74   3.4 70
Jackson 10,984 86   11,638 86   654 70   6.0 54
Lawrence 39,926 32   41,869 35   1,943 47   4.9 59
Lewis 11,367 84   12,161 83   794 64   7.0 48
Lincoln 31,340 44   33,361 44   2,021 44   6.4 51
Macon 20,386 62   22,248 61   1,862 48   9.1 36
Marshall 26,767 54   30,617 49   3,850 29   14.4 20
Maury 69,498 17   80,956 16   11,458 14   16.5 14
Montgomery 134,768 7   172,331 7   37,563 5   27.9 5
Moore 5,740 93   6,362 93   622 72   10.8 27
Overton 20,118 63   22,083 63   1,965 46   9.8 32
Perry 7,631 90   7,915 88   284 79   3.7 68
Pickett 4,945 95   5,077 95   132 81   2.7 74
Putman 62,315 19   72,321 18   10,006 16   16.1 16
Robertson 54,433 22   66,283 20   11,850 13   21.8 10
Rutherford 182,023 5   262,604 5   80,581 1   44.3 2
Sequatchie 11,370 83   14,112 78   2,742 36   24.1 8
Smith 17,712 68   19,166 65   1,454 63   8.2 40
Stewart 12,370 80   13,324 81   954 62   7.7 43
Sumner 130,449 8   160,645 8   30,196 6   23.1 9
Trousdale 7,259 91   7,870 89   611 73   8.4 39
Van Buren 5,508 94   5,548 94   40 84   0.7 82
Warren 38,276 37   39,839 38   1,563 51   4.1 65
Wayne 16,842 72   17,021 74   179 80   1.1 81
White 23,102 58   25,841 58   2,739 37   11.9 25
Williamson 126,638 9   183,182 6   56,544 3   44.7 1
Wilson 88,809 13   113,993 12   25,184 9   28.4 4
                       
Total 2,081,346     2,455,911     374,565     18.0  
Tennessee 5,689,283     6,346,105              

continued: Eastern Division