Tennessee Population 2023

The last official population count for the state of Tennessee was taken during the last nationwide census held in 2010. At the time it was confirmed that the state’s population stood at 6,346,105. That number reflects a rise of 11.5% on the statistics from the previous census held in 2000.

It's estimated that the population has grown even further since the estimate of 6,600,2996 in 2016.

Tennessee Area and Population Density

Situated in the southeastern sector of the United States, Tennessee is only the 36th largest state in the country by area, but it is the 20th most densely populated. Although relatively small in terms of numbers, Tennessee provides some interesting statistics in relation to population density. This is a relatively small area that covers 42,143 square miles (109,247 square kilometers) but for every square mile of Tennessee turf, there is an average of 153.9 people, making Tennessee the 20th most densely populated state in the entire country.

The largest city in Tennessee is Nashville, with a city proper population of about 655,610 residents, and a metropolitan population of 1,757,912. The second-largest city is Memphis, in the far west of the state, home to 655,770 people in the city and 1,341,746 in the metro area.

For a breakdown of which of Tennessee counties population are increasing, and which are decreasing, take a look at our interactive map. Read on for more information about Tennessee's population trends, or head across to our US population summary for more information about demographic changes around the country.

Tennessee Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age among the state of Tennessee is approximately 38.5 years of age. When examining the ratio of females to males, the current statistics show females at 51.3% and males at 48.7%.

In terms of religious preferences across the state's population, 81% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 14% are unaffiliated with any particular faith.

Tennessee Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

The Territory South of the Ohio River, formerly part of North Carolina and sometimes known as the Southwest Territory, was created in 1790. It was admitted as the State of Tennessee on June 1, 1796. Both Territory and State had generally the same boundaries as the present State, except that because of erroneous surveys much of the Tennessee-Kentucky boundary was in dispute for some time; it was not finally resurveyed until 1859. Details of the Tennessee-Virginia boundary were not settled until 1901.

Census coverage in 1790 and 1800 was limited to the northeastern part of Tennessee and the region around Nashville, and coverage did not include the whole State until 1830. The 1790 census of the Southwest Territory actually began at the end of July 1791.

Tennessee Population History

In 1790, it was reported that the population of Tennessee was just 35,691, but like most areas in this part of the world, a population explosion was just over the horizon. Just ten years later, at the start of the 19th century, numbers had grown by nearly 200% to 105,602.

That was by far the biggest spike in the Tennessee population but sustained increases throughout the 1800s meant that by the time the 20th century rolled in, the number of people who lived in Tennessee had just crept over the two million mark.

The 1900s showed a similar pattern of overall growth and that has continued to the present day where the Tennessee population in 2016 has finally surpassed 6.5 million.

Tennessee Population Growth

Figures relating to the natural growth patterns within Tennessee were released in 2006 and they showed that in the six years since the previous census, numbers had increased by 142,266 due to 493,881 births minus 351,615 deaths, and in addition, there had been a rise of 219,551 due to net migration.

Tennessee Population Projections

There are no reasons to suggest that healthy rises won’t continue for the foreseeable future. It's projected that Tennessee's population will surpass 7 million by the 2020 Census and pass the 7.5 million mark before 2025.

Tennessee has the 10th largest percentage of African American residents in the nation. Over 36% of the population under the age of 1 are minorities. There are also a number of Native Americans residing in Tennessee, including the Cherokee Wolf Clan, Chikamaka Band, Central Band of Cherokee, United Eastern Lenapee Nation, the Tanasi Council, and Remnant Yuchi Nation. The majority of the diverse residents of the state are of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry.

The state ranks 37th out of 50 states for its Asian American population. The most common ancestries include: American (17.3%), African American (13%), Irish (9.3%), English (9.1%) and German (8.3%). It's estimated that about one quarter of the residents are of predominantly English ancestry.

• The first settlement in Tennessee was set up at Boone's Creek in 1769. William Bean built a cabin for his family, and several settlers from North Carolina joined him.
• Oak Ridge was designated the base for the government's Manhattan Project in the 1940s. The population of Oak Ridge jumped from just 3,000 in 1942 to 75,000 just three years later.
• When Tennessee first became a state, it already had a population of about 77,000 in 1796.
• Tennessee is the setting for Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. The home is the second most visited in the US.
• The city of Bristol is said to be the birthplace of country music. Tennessee's capital, Nashville, is also known as "Music City" and is thought to be the country music capital of the world.
• Shelby County has more horses per capita than any other county in the United States.