NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Almost every county in Tennessee grew in population during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, not due to an increase in births, but because more people are moving to the Volunteer State compared to the number of people leaving.
Data from the University of Tennessee’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research found 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties’ populations increased from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, and 88 of those counties’ population increases were fueled by net migration.
“There is no denying that Tennessee is an outstanding place to live, an outstanding place to be now and for a long time it’s been the case, and now especially in the wake of COVID-19, it’s even more attractive because of our relatively low cost of living,” said Don Bruce, professor at UT and the director of the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.
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According to the data, Rutherford County saw the largest numerical population increase—the area welcomed more than 6,419 new residents. More than 4,700 of those residents were a result of net migration.