How many immigrants are in Tennessee?
Data updated September 19, 2024
About 432K immigrants in 2023. This translates to approximately 6.1% of the population, or roughly 3 in 50 residents in Tennessee. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, which includes people who became US citizens, are authorized to come to the US (e.g., work visas, student visas), or are undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2023
432K
Tennessee residents were foreign-born
In 2023
3 in 50
Tennessee residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in Tennessee grew from 305K in 2013 to 432K in 2023. This increase occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and people moving. Analyzing the foreign-born share of the total population provides a better view of these demographics. In Tennessee, the foreign-born share of the population was 6.1% in 2023, lower than the US overall at 14.3%, and up from 4.7% in the state since 2013.
In Tennessee, 6.1% of the population was foreign-born in 2023.
Variations in immigrant populations illustrate a changing population landscape in both local areas and the nation as a whole. The largest immigration populations are concentrated in big metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast typically have a higher share of residents that are foreign-born.
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From 2018 to 2022, the metro areas (with data) in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population share were: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.5% foreign-born (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.9% foreign-born (lowest). The highest and lowest among the metro areas in or connected to Tennessee were: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN at 8.6% foreign-born (highest) and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA at 1.4% foreign-born (lowest).
On average, 8.3% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born from 2018 to 2022
Foreign-born share of the population
Average foreign-born share of the population from 2018 to 2022
| 1. | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metro Area | 8.6% |
| 2. | Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area | 5.6% |
| 3. | Clarksville, TN-KY Metro Area | 5% |
| 4. | Cleveland, TN Metro Area | 4.7% |
| 5. | Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area | 4.3% |
| 6. | Knoxville, TN Metro Area | 4.3% |
| 7. | Morristown, TN Metro Area | 4.1% |
| 8. | Johnson City, TN Metro Area | 3.2% |
| 9. | Jackson, TN Metro Area | 2.9% |
| 10. | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area | 1.4% |
