Is Tennessee's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It grew by 79,400 between 2023 and 2024. That’s more than the population of the city of Johnson City. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. Tennessee’s 1.1% annual increase was primarily driven by people moving from other states. In the decade between 2014 and 2024, Tennessee’s population grew by 10.2%.
+79.4K
population change (2023 to 2024)
+1.1%
percent change in population (2023 to 2024)
Since 2000, Tennessee's population increased in 24 of 24 years. The largest increase occurred between 2005 and 2006, when it gained 97,700 residents. The state's smallest increase during the 21st century occurred between 2020 and 2021 when it gained 37,800 residents.
Tennessee gained 79,400 residents between 2023 and 2024.
Annual population change
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2023 to 2024 natural population change was positive in Tennessee, with births exceeding deaths by 3,400.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Tennessee’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 27,600 more people coming from another country to Tennessee than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: Tennessee’s population change from domestic migration was positive, with about 48,500 more people moving to Tennessee from other states than leaving.
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Between 2023 and 2024, domestic migration was the primary driver of population growth in Tennessee.
Components of population change
Among 95 county equivalents, Davidson County had the largest population growth in Tennessee, welcoming 10,413 new residents. Shelby County lost the most, with a loss of 3,379 residents.
Bledsoe County led Tennessee in percent population increase between 2023 and 2024 at 3.9%. Haywood County ranked last with a 1.2% decline.
Between 2023 and 2024, Bledsoe County gained 3.9% in population, the largest increase in Tennessee.
Population change
Between 2014 and 2024, Tennessee’s population has increased by 10.2%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.5%. Tennessee ranks 14th among states in population growth over that decade.
Tennessee ranked 14th in population growth between 2014 and 2024.
Percent change in population
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
