While it seems like Middle Tennessee is bursting at the seams, Texas is actually growing even faster, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 1, 2017, population estimates released Thursday, March 22.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area’s 146,000-population increase last year was the most of any metro area and Maricopa County, Ariz., saw a population increase of nearly 74,000 — the most of any county last year.
At the same time, the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA grew 1.8 percent from 2016 to 2017, adding an estimated 34,190 people. The midstate held steady ranking as the 36th largest metro area in the nation.
Since 2010, the Nashville MSA has grown 13.8 percent from 1,670,890 to 1,903,045. Since 2011, a quarter million people have moved to the area.
The Census statistics provide population estimates and components of change for the nation’s 382 metropolitan statistical areas, 551 micropolitan statistical areas and 3,142 counties.
“Historically, the Dallas metro area attracts large numbers from both international and domestic migration. Many of the other largest metro areas in the country rely mostly on international migration and natural increase for growth,” said Molly Cromwell, a demographer at the Census Bureau.
Among the nation’s counties, the top 10 with the largest numeric growth are all located in the South and the West. The 10 largest counties in the country all maintained their rank compared to last year.
From July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017, six of the top 10 largest-gaining counties were in Texas — Bexar, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Harris and Tarrant. The remaining four counties on the list were Maricopa County, Ariz.; Clark County, Nev.; Riverside County, Calif.; and King County, Wash. Most of the nation’s 3,142 counties grew, with 57 percent gaining in the last year.
Geography | Population Estimate | Change, 2016 to 2017 | Rankings | |||
2016 | 2017 | Growth | Percent | 2016 |
2017 | |
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metro Area | 1,868,855 | 1,903,045 | 34,190 | 1.80% | 36 | 36 |
Knoxville, TN Metro Area | 867,870 | 877,104 | 9,234 | 1.10% | 64 | 64 |
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area | 305,893 | 306,659 | 766 | 0.30% | 162 | 161 |
Johnson City, TN Metro Area | 201,343 | 202,053 | 710 | 0.40% | 219 | 219 |
Jackson, TN Metro Area | 129,083 | 129,235 | 152 | 0.10% | 305 | 306 |
Cleveland, TN Metro Area | 121,177 | 122,317 | 1140 | 0.90% | 320 | 320 |
Morristown, TN Metro Area | 116,874 | 118,081 | 1207 | 1.00% | 330 | 330 |
Counties
At the county level, Rutherford County is solidly the fifth largest in Tennessee and is quickly approaching Hamilton to take the fourth spot.
County | 2016 Population | 2017 population | Population added |
Shelby County, Tennessee | 937130 | 936961 | -169 |
Davidson County, Tennessee | 688901 | 691243 | 2342 |
Knox County, Tennessee | 456114 | 461860 | 5746 |
Hamilton County, Tennessee | 358061 | 361613 | 3552 |
Rutherford County, Tennessee | 307683 | 317157 | 9474 |
Williamson County, Tennessee | 218888 | 226257 | 7369 |
Montgomery County, Tennessee | 194795 | 200182 | 5387 |
Sumner County, Tennessee | 179108 | 183545 | 4437 |
Sullivan County, Tennessee | 156335 | 157158 | 823 |
Wilson County, Tennessee | 132433 | 136442 | 4009 |
Across the nation, 1,790 counties (57.0 percent) gained population and 1,342 counties (42.7 percent) lost population between 2016 and 2017. This compared to 2015-2016 when 1,655 counties (52.7 percent) gained population and 1,480 counties (47.1 percent) lost population.
Among counties with a population of 10,000 or more in 2016 and 2017, Falls Church City, Va. (a county equivalent), was the fastest-growing county with a 5.2 percent increase, adding 715 people. The rapid growth was mostly due to an increase in net domestic migration, with 492 more people moving in than out of the area between 2016 and 2017.
The primary driver behind the growth of the 10 fastest-growing counties, 2016-2017, was net domestic migration.
In the coming months, the Census Bureau will release 2017 population estimates for cities and towns, as well as national, state and county population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.
To find out what counties people are leaving from and moving into, visit the Census Flows Mapper. The mapper displays information from the American Community Survey, collected over five-year periods between 2006 and 2015.