Which Tennessee counties are growing the fastest: Did your county make this top 10 list?
It’s no secret that Tennessee's population has exploded in recent years, but which county has seen the biggest boom?
Hint: it’s not Davidson County, though people are still moving to Nashville in droves.
For the eighth straight year, Rutherford County has topped the list of the state’s fastest growing counties, according to study this month from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Middle Tennessee County southeast of Nashville saw a 1.8 percent increase last year for 6,419 more people, marking a total population of more than 360,000.
The jump, however, was slower than the previous year’s increase of 2.7% and was the first time since 2010 that the growth dropped below 2%.
While Rutherford topped the list for the fastest-growing county by numeric growth, Loudon County actually saw the highest jump in percentage increase at 4%, followed by Wilson County at 3.2%.
Where are the other fast-growing counties in Tennessee?
Rank | County | 2022 Population | 2023 Population | Change |
1 | Rutherford | 360,682 | 367,101 | 6,419 |
2 | Knox | 495,380 | 500,669 | 5,289 |
3 | Hamilton | 374,602 | 379,864 | 5,262 |
4 | Wilson | 158,593 | 163,674 | 5,081 |
5 | Davidson | 707,351 | 712,334 | 4,983 |
6 | Montgomery | 234,899 | 239,872 | 4,973 |
7 | Sumner | 203,721 | 207,994 | 4,273 |
8 | Williamson | 260,738 | 264,460 | 3,722 |
9 | Maury | 107,996 | 110,760 | 2,764 |
10 | Loudon | 58,244 | 60,591 | 2,347 |
How does Tennessee's growth compare to other states?
In all, 90 of the state's 95 counties saw growth last year, up from 72 counties in 2021. This widespread growth hasn't been seen since the mid-1990s, when an all-time high of 91 counties saw increases for the fastest growth in state history, according to the university's Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.
Tennessee overall ranked number four for states with the highest number of counties that saw population increases. Delaware topped the list, followed by Florida and Idaho.
Rural counties see population jump
In another trend, the state's rural counties also saw a significant increase with a total 1.4% jump for 37,416 new people last year. Overall, 74 of 78 rural counties saw increases, with Wilson and Maury leading the way.
Of the four rural counties that saw decreases, the drop in Wayne county was attributed to shifting prison populations at Turney Center Industrial Complex, while the other three were located West Tennessee and have seen consist declines.
The state's largest county, Shelby County, lost 6,315 residents last year, continuing a downward trend since 2012.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: These Tennessee counties are growing the fastest
