Census Estimates Find Outlying Towns Growing Faster Than Nashville Proper

Nashville’s population grew more than any other city in Tennessee last year, according to new Census estimates. But in terms of percentages, the fastest growing areas in Tennessee lie outside of Nashville.

Murfreesboro added nearly 4,000 people. That’s a 3.4 percent uptick in one year. Clarksville popped up by 2.8 percent. Cal Wray of the local chamber of commerce says the population increase is evident now that traffic is becoming a problem.

“Come to Clarksville, Tennessee, about 4:45 in the afternoon and take exit 4 and drive the main retail corridor, which is about four miles long.”

Wray credit’s new industrial relocations for leading to Clarksville’s growth, since Fort Campbell is currently downsizing.

Elsewhere in the state, Knoxville only grew a little bit last year. Chattanooga was basically flat. And Memphis actually shrank slightly, just as it did the year before. It was one of only a handful of cities to drop by multiple spots in rank order. Memphis slipped to the 23^rd largest city in the nation. Nashville is 25^th.