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Population and Demography of Tennessee
Tennessee is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest.
Tennessee is the 16th most populous in the United States. The total Land area is 41,217 square miles (106,846 square kilometers) and there is an average of 168 people for every square mile. This makes North Carolina the 20th most densely populated state in the US. As per the United States Census Bureau, the population of Tennessee in 2020 was 6,910,840 (6.9 million)
Estimated Population of Tennessee in 2024 – 7,126,489 or 7.1 million
Tennessee Population (2010-2020)
Tennessee has a population growth rate of 8.9% during 2010-2020. It has population increase of 564,735 since 2010. The median age in 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%.
| Tennessee | Census 2020 |
| Total Population | 6,910,840 (6.9 million) |
| Median Age | 38.5 years |
| Population Rank | 1st |
| Total Land Area | 41,217 sq mi (106,846 km2) |
| Area Rank | 36th |
| Population Density | 167.8/sq mi (64.8/km2) |
| Capital and Largest City | Nashville |
Tennessee Historical Population
Tennessee has a population growth rate of 6.1% during 2010-2020. In the year 1910 Population of Tennessee was 2.1 million and in 2020 it reached 6.9 million, an increase of almost 4.8 million.
Let’s look at the decade population and percentage change
| Year | Population | % Change |
| 1910 | 2,184,789 | 8.1% |
| 1920 | 2,337,885 | 7% |
| 1930 | 2,616,556 | 11.9% |
| 1940 | 2,915,841 | 11.4% |
| 1950 | 3,291,718 | 12.9% |
| 1960 | 3,567,089 | 8.4% |
| 1970 | 3,923,687 | 10% |
| 1980 | 4,591,120 | 17% |
| 1990 | 4,877,185 | 6.2% |
| 2000 | 5,689,283 | 16.7% |
| 2010 | 6,346,105 | 11.5% |
| 2020 | 6,910,840 | 8.9% |
Source: US Census 2020
Religion and affiliations
Christianity is the majority religion in Tennessee followed by 81% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Tennessee is Protestant (73%); Roman Catholic (6%); Mormonism (1%); Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%)
Next comes the Unaffiliated population, 14% of the population doesn’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion. Other non-Christian-based religions and faiths are followed by 3% of the population and include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
For more details read Religion in Tennessee
Race and Ethnicity
In 2020, the White alone (non-Hispanic) population was the largest racial or ethnic group in Tennessee, comprising 70.91% of the total population. It was followed by the Black or African American population whose share was 15,68%. Hispanic or Latino was the third largest group at 6.93%. Two or more races are at 3.57% & the Asian population was at 1.94%
Ancestry
As per Census Studies & estimates American, Irish, English, German, and Italian have made the five largest ancestry groups in Tennessee.
For more Details read Race and Ethnicity in Tennessee
Top Cities in and Counties Tennessee
As of 2022, Tennessee is divided into 95 counties. The most populous county in Tennessee is Shelby County with 1 million residents. Its followed by Davidson County (0.7 million) and Knox County (0.5 million)
The largest city in Tennessee is Nashville with 694,176 people followed by Memphis and Knoxville.
To know more about Cities and Counties in Tennessee
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