Tennessee population growing faster than the U.S. as a whole
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Tennessee's population growth continued to outpace the nation's last year, according to new U.S. Census estimates.
Why it matters: The Volunteer State is showing some resilience in the midst of a nationwide slowdown.
- New residents are critical here as Tennessee seeks to expand its workforce.
By the numbers: The Tennessee population climbed to more than 7.3 million last year, per the Census estimate. That's an uptick of 63,785 people, or 0.9% growth year over year.
- The national population grew by only 0.5%.
Between the lines: Tennessee was in the top 10 states based on raw population and rate of growth.
Yes, but: As our friends at the Tennessee Journal noted, the state is not growing fast enough to qualify for an additional congressional seat in 2030, per The American Redistricting Project.
Zoom out: The South, which has been a population powerhouse over the last few years, fell below 1% annual growth for the first time since 2021.
The big picture: The latest national numbers offer some insight into the effects of the first few months of President Trump's immigration crackdown.
- Census assistant division chief Christine Hartley said the national slowdown "is largely due to a historic decline in net international migration, which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million."
- Births and deaths, meanwhile, remained "relatively stable."