Demographics of Tennessee#Population
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Tennessee is the fifteenth most populous state in the United States with a population of 7,051,339 as of 2022, and has the twentieth-highest population density. The 2020 United States census reported its population to be 6,916,897.
Population
{{US Census population
|1790= 35691
|1800= 105602
|1810= 261727
|1820= 422823
|1830= 681904
|1840= 829210
|1850= 1002717
|1860= 1109801
|1870= 1258520
|1880= 1542359
|1890= 1767518
|1900= 2020616
|1910= 2184789
|1920= 2337885
|1930= 2616556
|1940= 2915841
|1950= 3291718
|1960= 3567089
|1970= 3923687
|1980= 4591120
|1990= 4877185
|2000= 5689283
|2010= 6346105
|2020= 6910840
|estimate= 7051339
|estyear= 2022
|align-fn=center
|footnote=Source: 1910–2020; 2022{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=US Census Quickfacts, Population Estimates, July 1 2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/geo/chart/ID/PST045222 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426202412/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/population-change-data-table.pdf |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |access-date=July 18, 2023 |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
}}
The 2020 United States census reported Tennessee's population at 6,910,840, an increase of 564,735 since the 2010 United States census, or 8.90%.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/TN,US/PST045219 |title=QuickFacts Tennessee; UNITED STATES |website=quickfacts.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division |date=February 6, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202182715/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/TN,US/PST045219 |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |url-status=live}} Between 2010 and 2019, the state received a natural increase of 124,385 (584,236 births minus 459,851 deaths), and an increase from net migration of 244,537 people into the state. Immigration from outside the U.S. resulted in a net increase of 66,412, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 178,125.{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2010-2017/state/totals/nst-est2017-04.xlsx |format=XLS |title=Table 4. Cumulative Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2017 (NST-EST2017-04) |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date=December 2017 |access-date=December 24, 2017}}
According to the 2010 census, 6.4% of Tennessee's population were under age{{nbsp}}5, 23.6% under 18, and 13.4% 65 or older.{{Cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US47 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data, Tennessee |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date=2010 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005732/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US47 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead}} In recent years, Tennessee has been a top source of domestic migration, receiving an influx of people relocating from California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and New England due to the low cost of living, booming healthcare and automotive industries, and politically conservative governance and culture.{{cite news |title=Welcome to the Volunteer State! Study finds more people moved to Tennessee in 2020 |url=https://www.wbir.com/article/news/state/welcome-to-the-volunteer-state-study-finds-more-people-moved-to-tennessee-over-2020/51-c3738a9b-e515-4579-95e4-f59f234b84e9 |access-date=May 27, 2021 |work=WBIR-TV |date=February 6, 2021 |location=Knoxville}}{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Brittany |title=More people moved to Tennessee, Texas, and Florida than any other states in 2020, according to data from U-Haul — see the full ranking |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/people-moved-to-tennessee-texas-florida-2020-u-haul-data-2021-1 |access-date=May 27, 2021 |work=Business Insider |date=January 19, 2021}} Metropolitan Nashville is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country due in part to these factors.{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Dashboards|url=https://myutk.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/0a25caa68c9e4399a65449bc94ff3a49|access-date=June 19, 2020|website=myutk.maps.arcgis.com}} In 2010, about 4.4% of Tennessee's population was foreign-born, an increase of about 118.5% since 2000. Of the foreign-born population, approximately 31.0% were naturalized citizens and 69.0% non-citizens. The foreign-born population consisted of approximately 49.9% from Latin America, 27.1% from Asia, 11.9% from Europe, 7.7% from Africa, 2.7% from Northern America, and 0.6% from Oceania.{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=tennessee%20foreign%20born%20population&g=0400000US47&hidePreview=false&tid=ACSST5Y2010.S0502&t=Foreign%20born&vintage=2010&layer=VT_2018_040_00_PY_D1&cid=DP02_0001E|title=Selected Characteristics of the Foreign-born Population by Period of Entry into the United States|author=|website=data.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2020}}
Tennessee's center of population is in Murfreesboro in Rutherford County.{{cite web |title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 6, 2008 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223204810/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |archive-date=February 23, 2010}}
Race and ethnicity
{{see also|African Americans in Tennessee}}
File:Ethnic_Origins_in_Tennessee.png
In 2010, 4.6% of the total population was of Hispanic or Latino origin (they may be of any race), up from 2.2% in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population in Tennessee grew by 134.2%, the third-highest rate of any state.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf|title=The Hispanic Population: 2010|author=|date=May 2011|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2020}} That same year Non-Hispanic whites were 75.6% of the population, compared to 63.7% of the population nationwide.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=2010 U.S. Census website |access-date=July 10, 2016}}
File:Tennessee population density 2020.png
In 2010, the five most common self-reported ethnic groups in the state were: American (26.5%), English (8.2%), Irish (6.6%), German (5.5%), and Scotch-Irish (2.7%).{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Tennessee%20ancestry&g=0400000US47&hidePreview=false&tid=ACSDT5Y2010.B04004&t=Ancestry&vintage=2018&layer=VT_2018_040_00_PY_D1&cid=B04004_001E|title=People Reporting Single Ancestry|author=|website=data.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 10, 2020}} Most Tennesseans who self-identify as having American ancestry are of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry. An estimated 21–24% of Tennesseans are of predominantly English ancestry.{{cite book |title=Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |first=David Hackett |last=Fischer |author-link=David Hackett Fischer |year=1989 |pages=633–639 |isbn=978-0-19-503794-4 |title-link=Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America}}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/sharingdreamwhit00pule |url-access=registration |title=Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America |publisher=Continuum |location=New York |first=Dominic J. |last=Pulera |year=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/sharingdreamwhit00pule/page/57 57] |isbn=978-0-8264-1643-8 |access-date=October 17, 2015}} In the 1980 census 1,435,147 Tennesseans claimed "English" or "mostly English" ancestry out of a state population of 3,221,354 making them 45% of the state at the time.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab03.pdf |title=Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980—Table 3 |access-date=December 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224233043/http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab03.pdf |archive-date=February 24, 2012 |url-status=live}}
On June 19, 2010, the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs granted state recognition to six Native American tribes, which was later repealed by the state's Attorney General because the action by the commission was illegal. The tribes were as follows:{{cite news |url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/21/6-tribes-granted-recognition/ |title=State grants six Indian tribes recognition |work=Knoxville News Sentinel |first=Tom |last=Humphrey |date=June 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627080631/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/21/6-tribes-granted-recognition/ |archive-date=June 27, 2010}}
- The Cherokee Wolf Clan in western Tennessee, with members in Carroll County, Benton, Decatur, Henderson, Henry, Weakley, Gibson and Madison counties.
- The Chikamaka Band, based historically on the South Cumberland Plateau, said to have members in Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Warren and Coffee counties.
- Central Band of Cherokee, also known as the Cherokee of Lawrence County.
- United Eastern Lenape Nation of Winfield.
- The Tanasi Council, said to have members in Shelby, Dyer, Gibson, Humphreys and Perry counties; and
- Remnant Yuchi Nation, with members in Sullivan, Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Unicoi, Johnson and Washington counties.
Most immigrants in Tennessee were born in Mexico.[https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-tennessee Immigrants in Tennessee] Springfield and Shelbyville have a significant Mexican population in the state.{{cite web|url=https://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=190 | title=Mexicans Spread Out - Rural Migration News | Migration Dialogue }}
Birth data
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother |
| Race
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 9, 2021}} {{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2022-02-20}} {{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2022-02-03}} {{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2024-04-05}} {{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2025-04-15}} |
|---|
| White
| 54,377 (68.0%) | 55,499 (68.0%) | 55,420 (67.8%) | 53,866 (66.7%) | 53,721 (66.3%) | 53,256 (66.0%) | 52,187 (64.9%) | 50,668 (64.4%) | 53,340 (65.3%) | 52,818 (64.2%) | 52,962 (63.8%) |
| Black
| 17,860 (22.3%) | 17,791 (21.8%) | 17,507 (21.4%) | 15,889 (19.7%) | 16,050 (19.8%) | 15,921 (19.7%) | 15,972 (19.9%) | 15,413 (19.6%) | 15,204 (18.6%) | 14,514 (17.6%) | 14,377 (17.3%) |
| Asian
| 2,097 (2.6%) | 2,180 (2.7%) | 2,153 (2.6%) | 1,875 (2.3%) | 1,905 (2.4%) | 1,877 (2.3%) | 1,811 (2.3%) | 1,767 (2.2%) | 1,760 (2.1%) | 1,877 (2.3%) | 1,804 (2.2%) |
| American Indian
| 231 (0.3%) | 240 (0.3%) | 211 (0.2%) | 77 (0.1%) | 150 (0.2%) | 148 (0.2%) | 161 (0.2%) | 85 (0.1%) | 65 (>0.1%) | 87 (0.1%) | 107 (0.1%) |
| Hispanic (any race)
| 6,854 (8.6%) | 6,986 (8.6%) | 7,264 (8.9%) | 7,631 (9.4%) | 7,684 (9.5%) | 7,824 (9.7%) | 8,437 (10.5%) | 8,928 (11.3%) | 9,451 (11.6%) | 11,048 (13.4%) | 11,895 (14.3%) |
| Total
| 79,992 (100%) | 81,602 (100%) | 81,685 (100%) | 80,807 (100%) | 81,016 (100%) | 80,751 (100%) | 80,450 (100%) | 78,689 (100%) | 81,717 (100%) | 82,265 (100%) | 83,021 (100%) |
Notes
- Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
- Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Religion
{{bar box
|title = Religious affiliation (2014)
|titlebar=#ccf |background-color=#f8f9fa |float=right
|bars =
{{bar percent|Evangelical Protestantism|darkblue|52}}
{{bar percent|Unaffiliated|purple|14}}
{{bar percent|Mainline Protestantism|darkblue|13}}
{{bar percent|Historically Black Protestantism|darkblue|8}}
{{bar percent|Catholic|mediumblue|8}}
{{bar percent|Other Christianity|lightblue|3}}
{{bar percent|Other faiths|gray|3}}
{{bar percent|Judaism|red|1}}
{{bar percent|Islam|darkgreen|1}}
}}
Tennessee has always been, and remains, predominantly Christian. About 81% of the population identifies as Christian, with Protestants making up 73% of the population. Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelical Protestants compose 52% of the population, Mainline Protestants 13%, and Historically Black Protestants 8%. Roman Catholics make up 8%,{{Cite web |title=Tennessee Catholicism on the rise |date=14 June 2014 |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/jun/14/catholic-converts-on-the-rise-east-tennessee-among/}} Latter-day Saints 1%, and Orthodox Christians less than 1%.{{cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/tennessee/ |title=Religious Landscape Study |date=May 11, 2015 |publisher=Pew Forum |access-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907135416/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/tennessee/ |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |url-status=live}} The largest churches by number of adherents are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Churches of Christ.{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/47/rcms2010_47_state_adh_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report |publisher=www.thearda.com |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809110458/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/47/rcms2010_47_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date=August 9, 2014 |url-status=dead}} Muslims and Jews each make up about 1% of the population, and adherents of other religions make up about 3% of the population. About 14% of Tennesseans are non-religious, with 11% identifying as "Nothing in particular", 3% as agnostics, and 1% as atheists.
Tennessee is included in most definitions of the Bible Belt, and is ranked as one of the nation's most religious states.{{cite web |last1=Lipka |first1=Michael |last2=Wormald |first2=Benjamin |title=How religious is your state? |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=tennessee |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=May 15, 2021 |date=February 29, 2016}} It is home to several Protestant denominations, including the National Baptist Convention (headquartered in Nashville); the Church of God in Christ and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (both headquartered in Memphis); and the Church of God and The Church of God of Prophecy (both headquartered in Cleveland). The Free Will Baptist denomination is headquartered in Antioch; its main Bible college is in Nashville. The Southern Baptist Convention maintains its general headquarters in Nashville. Nashville has publishing houses of several denominations.{{cn|date=June 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Tennessee}}
{{Demographics of US}}