Younger adults are fueling growth beyond Tennessee's biggest cities.
While adults 65 and older remain Tennessee's fastest-growing age group, a surge in younger adults is helping drive population gains in rural communities across the state.
Tennessee's population ages 25 to 44 has grown by 8.9% from 2020 to 2025, adding nearly 158,800 residents, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from the Tennessee State Data Center
.That growth rate is more than seven times faster than during the first half of the 2010s, when the same age group grew by just 1.2%.
Much of that growth is concentrated in Tennessee's rural counties.
Population growth among young adults marks reversal from last decade
Between 2010 and 2015, 81 of Tennessee's 95 counties saw declines in their 25-to-44 population.
The few
counties that gained younger residents were concentrated largely in Middle Tennessee, with Davidson County leading the state after adding nearly 23,000 people. Several other Nashville-area countiesand neighboring Montgomery County, home to Clarksville, also posted some of the largest increases.
Since 2020, however, the picture has changed dramatically.
While roughly half of the 10 fastest-growing counties remain in the Nashville metropolitan area, communities across East and West Tennessee are also seeing significant gains.
Rural Tennessee outpacing urban growth
According to the research, the state's 78 rural counties have collectively grown 6.4% since 2020, exceeding the 5.1% growth recorded by Tennessee's 17 urban counties. Rural areas have matched or surpassed urban growth rates every year this decade.
The difference is more pronounced among younger adults. Since 2020, Tennessee's rural counties have seen their 25-to-44 population increase by 11.3%, compared with 7.7% growth in urban counties.
Many of the fastest-growing rural counties for younger adults are located just outside Nashville.
Wilson County recorded the state's largest percentage increase in residents ages 25 to 44, with that population surging nearly 28% since 2020. Maury County ranked second, growing by almost 24% over the same period.
East Tennessee communities are also seeing strong gains. Sequatchie County, northwest of Chattanooga, ranked third statewide with 18.9% growth among early-career adults.
The county has added more than 2,000 residents since 2020, including roughly 670 people ages 25 to 44.
Van Buren County also ranked among the state's fastest-growing counties for younger adults, although its gains stem partly from its small population base.
Several counties surrounding Knoxville posted similarly strong increases. Jefferson, Roane, Grainger and Union counties each recorded growth of more than 15% among residents ages 25 to 44. Nearby Loudon and Anderson counties also ranked among Tennessee's fastest-growing areas.
Where younger adults are driving population growth in Tennessee
Here's a look at the Tennessee counties that saw the fastest growth among adults ages 25-44 between 2020 and 2025, along with their respective population changes.
- Davidson County (22,958 residents or 9.2%)
- Montgomery County (13,005 residents or 19.3%)
- Hamilton County (11,255 residents or 11.7%)
- Wilson County (10,346 residents or 27.7%)
- Rutherford County (10,030 residents or 10.1%)
- Knox County (9,659 residents or 7.6%)
- Sumner County (6,872 residents or 13.7%)
- Maury County (6,403 residents or 23.9%)
- Sullivan County (3,609 residents or 10.2%
- Bradley County (3,385 residents or 13%)
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Younger adults are flocking to Tennessee's rural counties. Here's where most of them are settling down
