The last official population count for the state of Tennessee was taken during the last nationwide census held in 2010. At the time it was confirmed that the state’s population stood at 6,346,105. That number reflects a rise of 11.5% on the statistics from the previous census held in 2000.
It's estimated that the population has grown even further since the estimate of 6,600,2996 in 2016.
Situated in the southeastern sector of the United States, Tennessee is only the 36th largest state in the country by area, but it is the 20th most densely populated. Although relatively small in terms of numbers, Tennessee provides some interesting statistics in relation to population density. This is a relatively small area that covers 42,143 square miles (109,247 square kilometers) but for every square mile of Tennessee turf, there is an average of 153.9 people, making Tennessee the 20th most densely populated state in the entire country.
The largest city in Tennessee is Nashville, with a city proper population of about 655,610 residents, and a metropolitan population of 1,757,912. The second-largest city is Memphis, in the far west of the state, home to 655,770 people in the city and 1,341,746 in the metro area.
For a breakdown of which of Tennessee counties population are increasing, and which are decreasing, take a look at our interactive map. Read on for more information about Tennessee's population trends, or head across to our US population summary for more information about demographic changes around the country.
The median age among 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%.
In terms of religious preferences across the state's population, 81% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 3% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 14% are unaffiliated with any particular faith.
The Territory South of the Ohio River, formerly part of North Carolina and sometimes known as the Southwest Territory, was created in 1790. It was admitted as the State of Tennessee on June 1, 1796. Both Territory and State had generally the same boundaries as the present State, except that because of erroneous surveys much of the Tennessee-Kentucky boundary was in dispute for some time; it was not finally resurveyed until 1859. Details of the Tennessee-Virginia boundary were not settled until 1901.
Census coverage in 1790 and 1800 was limited to the northeastern part of Tennessee and the region around Nashville, and coverage did not include the whole State until 1830. The 1790 census of the Southwest Territory actually began at the end of July 1791.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tennessee was:
Tennessee has the 10th largest percentage of African American residents in the nation. Over 36% of the population under the age of 1 are minorities. There are also a number of Native Americans residing in Tennessee, including the Cherokee Wolf Clan, Chikamaka Band, Central Band of Cherokee, United Eastern Lenapee Nation, the Tanasi Council, and Remnant Yuchi Nation. The majority of the diverse residents of the state are of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry.
The state ranks 37th out of 50 states for its Asian American population. The most common ancestries include: American (17.3%), African American (13%), Irish (9.3%), English (9.1%) and German (8.3%). It's estimated that about one quarter of the residents are of predominantly English ancestry.
100K
200K
300K
400K
500K
600K
700K
800K
900K
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 5,182,732 | 74.85% |
Black or African American | 1,126,814 | 16.27% |
Two or more races | 326,851 | 4.72% |
Other race | 139,938 | 2.02% |
Asian | 128,630 | 1.86% |
Native American | 14,118 | 0.2% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 4,684 | 0.07% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 2,713,640 | 2.5 | 67.1 | 32.9 |
Married | 1,287,740 | 3.12 | 83.3 | 16.7 |
Non Family | 954,624 | 1.25 | 53.1 | 46.9 |
Female | 342,263 | 3.34 | 48.4 | 51.6 |
Male | 129,004 | 3.24 | 58.2 | 41.8 |
3.08
Average Family Size
2.5
Average Household Size
67.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 325,228 | 6.83% |
Associates Degree | 367,186 | 7.72% |
Bachelors Degree | 889,401 | 18.69% |
Graduate Degree | 524,269 | 11.02% |
High School Graduate | 1,498,400 | 31.49% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 184,923 | 3.89% |
Some College | 969,306 | 20.37% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 3,625,980 | 3,292,970 | 1,128,780 |
Black | 726,292 | 639,823 | 162,237 |
Hispanic | 204,442 | 135,989 | 38,648 |
2+ Races | 157,661 | 132,335 | 42,014 |
Asian | 87,866 | 76,465 | 49,170 |
Other Race | 70,647 | 44,808 | 13,044 |
Native American | 9,133 | 7,405 | 1,567 |
Islander | 2,787 | 2,370 | 767 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 90.82%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 55.96%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $57,045 | $70,898 | $47,673 |
Graduate Degree | $72,070 | $92,716 | $62,013 |
High School Graduate | $34,967 | $41,003 | $28,572 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,958 | $33,176 | $22,243 |
Overall | $44,088 | $50,968 | $37,499 |
Some College | $40,917 | $50,124 | $34,178 |
$44,088
Average Earnings
$50,968
Average Male
$37,499
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
92.45% of Tennessee residents speak only English, while 7.55% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.28% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 4,917,430 | 552,364 | 11.23% |
Black | 1,089,160 | 248,593 | 22.82% |
Hispanic | 403,862 | 89,153 | 22.08% |
Multiple | 318,275 | 61,941 | 19.46% |
Other | 137,334 | 32,761 | 23.85% |
Asian | 125,745 | 11,248 | 8.95% |
Native | 12,903 | 3,131 | 24.27% |
Islander | 4,490 | 800 | 17.82% |
13.96%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.58%
Male Poverty Rate
15.29%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Tennessee is Native, with 24.27% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Tennessee is Asian, with 8.95% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.77%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.86%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.45%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 27.52% |
High School | 14.9% |
Some College | 9.68% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.27% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 35.81% |
Male Unemployed | 29.04% |
Female Employed | 7.26% |
Male Employed | 5.07% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $80,258 | $105,921 |
Households | $64,035 | $89,267 |
Married Families | $95,658 | $123,382 |
Non Families | $38,491 | $54,968 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
48.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.6%
Male Marriage Rate
46.9%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
414,746
Number of Veterans
374,140
Male Veterans
40,606
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 145,076 |
First Gulf War | 99,852 |
Second Gulf War | 99,782 |
Korea | 19,202 |
World War II | 4,483 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 107,523 |
35 to 54 | 100,843 |
75+ | 89,594 |
55 to 64 | 80,580 |
18 to 34 | 36,206 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 336,398 | 8.13% |
Black | 59,341 | 7.04% |
2+ Races | 11,952 | 6.14% |
Hispanic | 10,648 | 4.25% |
Other Race | 3,103 | 3.6% |
Asian | 2,432 | 2.42% |
Native American | 1,212 | 11.68% |
Islander | 308 | 9.57% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.48%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.37%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
61.9%
Labor Force Participation
58.4%
Employment Rate
5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
58.37%
Born in Tennessee
94.57%
Native Born
5.43%
Foreign Born
3.17%
Non Citizen
2.26%
Naturalized
94.57% of Tennessee residents were born in the United States, with 58.37% having been born in Tennessee. 3.17% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.