Did Knox County see largest population hike in Tennessee? No, but it's high on the list
We all know Knox County's population is growing. It's going to have 80,000 more people in 2045 than it does right now.
But is it experiencing the most growth in the state?
Not quite. That title belongs to Rutherford County. But Knox County had the second-largest population increase in terms of total people added, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. And it passed the half-million mark.
Knox County's population increased by 5,289 people from 2022 to 2023, growing from 495,380 people to 500,669, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Rutherford County blew Knox County out of the water. It's smaller but still grew by 6,419 people from 2022 to 2023. Hamilton County was a close third, growing by 5,262 people in that timeframe.
What Tennessee counties experienced the most growth by people?
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 will Knox County's population grow?
Knox County has been a popular place for people to move to in recent years.
Knox News has talked to many new residents about why they moved to the area. There are a variety of reasons, from job opportunities to general lifestyle changes to retirement. East Tennessee's natural beauty and vibrancy of the community were other common themes.
It's impossible to predict exactly how many people will live in Knox County decades from now, but two key datasets from local organizations can give a good idea of how the growth will continue: the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.
The Boyd Center has a slightly different projection for 2024's population than the Census, estimating a population of 493,617
Their projections for Knox County's population by 2045 are:
Boyd Center: 577,721
Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization: 570,352
The Boyd Center numbers extend out to 2070, when it projects the county will have 685,291 residents.
Nashville Tennessean Investigative reporter Kelly Puente contributed to this story.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly described Knox County's population growth. It saw the second-largest population increase by people from 2022 to 2023.
Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County among Tennessee counties with most population increase