Nashville is a township located in Davidson County Tennessee. Nashville has a 2024 population of 687,150. It is also the county seat of Davidson County. Nashville is currently declining at a rate of -0.09% annually and its population has decreased by -0.37% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 689,700 in 2020.
The average household income in Nashville is $102,258 with a poverty rate of 14.53%. The median age in Nashville is 34.6 years: 34.3 years for males, and 35 years for females.
Nashville is the capital of the state of Tennessee and known for its music industries, earning it the nickname Music City, and it is also known for several colleges and universities. Nashville has a consolidated city-county government with 6 municipalities. In the 2010 census, the population of the city, not including semi-independent municipalities, was 601,000. Counting all municipalities, Nashville had a population of 626,600.
Nashville is the largest city in the state, behind Memphis, and the fourth-largest in the Southeastern US. In 2010, the 13-county Nashville metropolitan area was home to 1.59 million people. With 528 square miles of land, the consolidated population of Nashville is estimated at 678,448 in 2021. Nashville's metropolitan area is the largest in Tennessee and encompasses all Middle Tennessee counties.
Nashville has become a trendy destination for immigrants due to a healthy job market and relatively low cost of living. The foreign-born population of the city tripled between 1990 and 2000, from 12,600 to 39,500. The foreign-born population has nearly doubled over the last decade and makes up about 12% of the population. The city is home to large populations of Mexicans, Kurds, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Arabs and Bantus. There are also small communities of Pashtuns from Pakistan and Afghanistan, mostly concentrated in Antioch. Nashville is home to the largest population of Kurdish people in the country, while many of around 60,000 Bhutanese refugees admitted to the country settled in the area. There is also an active American Jewish community here with a history dating back more than 150 years.
Nashville is enjoying healthy growth due to its music industry, tourists and new residents primarily comprised of immigrants and young people. A Gallup poll in 2013 ranked Nashville as one of the top 5 regions for job growth in the country.
Despite its growth and improvements, many point out that the city still has work to do if it wants to continue on this path. The city is more socially progressive than the state as a whole, but its mostly white population is still struggling with its legacy of segregation.
The modest growth in Nashville allowed it to recover more quickly from the recession, with real estate closings up 28% in 2012 over the previous year, and the unemployment rate remains lower than the national average.
Nashville's metropolitan area is expected to reach 2 million by the next census in 2020, placing it in 10th place for most considerable urban growth.
Nashville was founded in 1779 near the original Cumberland settlement of Fort Nashborough. The city was named in honor of the Revolutionary War hero, Francis Nash, and it quickly grew in population thanks to its strategic location along the river and later the railroads. Nashville was incorporated in 1806 and became the county seat. [It was named as the capital of Tennessee in 1843.](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nashville-Tennessee)
In 1963, the city consolidated its government with nearby Davidson County to form a metropolitan government. Nashville has enjoyed steady growth since the 1970s, particularly during the boom of the 90s, and it is today one of the fastest-growing regions in the Upland South.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Nashville was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 404,538 | 59.13% |
Black or African American | 183,398 | 26.81% |
Two or more races | 43,790 | 6.4% |
Other race | 26,238 | 3.84% |
Asian | 24,823 | 3.63% |
Native American | 958 | 0.14% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 358 | 0.05% |
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 | 291,884 | 2.27 | 53.8 | 46.2 |
Non Family | 139,893 | 1.34 | 41.3 | 58.7 |
Married | 104,192 | 3.08 | 75.8 | 24.2 |
Female | 35,904 | 3.22 | 39.9 | 60.1 |
Male | 11,895 | 3.26 | 49.2 | 50.8 |
3.04
Average Family Size
2.27
Average Household Size
53.8%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 28,692 | 6.01% |
Associates Degree | 28,531 | 5.97% |
Bachelors Degree | 134,405 | 28.15% |
Graduate Degree | 82,743 | 17.33% |
High School Graduate | 99,856 | 20.91% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 18,151 | 3.8% |
Some College | 85,143 | 17.83% |
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 | 289,701 | 275,493 | 159,646 |
Black | 119,127 | 105,604 | 34,512 |
Hispanic | 37,324 | 22,642 | 6,841 |
2+ Races | 22,089 | 18,281 | 8,498 |
Asian | 17,125 | 13,764 | 8,944 |
Other Race | 12,950 | 7,762 | 2,249 |
Native American | 713 | 644 | 187 |
Islander | 222 | 181 | 39 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.1%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 55.11%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,664 | $68,219 | $52,407 |
Graduate Degree | $73,518 | $85,695 | $64,861 |
High School Graduate | $34,138 | $36,189 | $30,904 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $30,653 | $33,909 | $24,685 |
Overall | $48,277 | $52,434 | $45,380 |
Some College | $41,478 | $46,245 | $37,053 |
$48,277
Average Earnings
$52,434
Average Male
$45,380
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
82.49% of Nashville residents speak only English, while 17.51% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.68% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 176,475 | 38,149 | 21.62% |
White | 365,265 | 33,498 | 9.17% |
Hispanic | 71,737 | 16,095 | 22.44% |
Multiple | 42,804 | 8,415 | 19.66% |
Other | 25,477 | 6,015 | 23.61% |
Asian | 23,658 | 3,470 | 14.67% |
Islander | 358 | 172 | 48.04% |
Native | 884 | 90 | 10.18% |
14.53%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.5%
Male Poverty Rate
16.44%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Nashville is Islander, with 48.04% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Nashville is White, with 9.17% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.68%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.95%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 28.36% |
High School | 16.07% |
Some College | 10.74% |
Bachelors or Greater | 5.3% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 34.34% |
Male Unemployed | 25.51% |
Female Employed | 8.27% |
Male Employed | 5.79% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $90,214 | $122,797 |
Households | $71,328 | $102,258 |
Married Families | $111,981 | $148,465 |
Non Families | $55,362 | $77,027 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
40.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.5%
Male Marriage Rate
38.3%
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
25,977
Number of Veterans
23,252
Male Veterans
2,725
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 8,907 |
Second Gulf War | 6,398 |
First Gulf War | 5,577 |
Korea | 1,219 |
World War II | 446 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 6,835 |
35 to 54 | 6,462 |
75+ | 5,399 |
55 to 64 | 5,038 |
18 to 34 | 2,243 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 16,281 | 4.77% |
Black | 8,160 | 5.83% |
Hispanic | 1,031 | 2.27% |
2+ Races | 682 | 2.59% |
Asian | 389 | 1.95% |
Other Race | 336 | 2.15% |
Native American | 102 | 12.36% |
Islander | 27 | 9.61% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.42%
Veteran Poverty Rate
26.54%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
71.9%
Labor Force Participation
68.5%
Employment Rate
4.6%
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
46.48%
Born in Nashville
86.31%
Native Born
13.69%
Foreign Born
8.41%
Non Citizen
5.29%
Naturalized
86.31% of Nashville residents were born in the United States, with 46.48% having been born in Tennessee. 8.41% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 683,963 | -638 | -0.09% |
2028 | 684,601 | -637 | -0.09% |
2027 | 685,238 | -637 | -0.09% |
2026 | 685,875 | -638 | -0.09% |
2025 | 686,513 | -637 | -0.09% |
2024 | 687,150 | -638 | -0.09% |
2023 | 687,788 | 5,658 | 0.83% |
2022 | 682,130 | 6,552 | 0.97% |
2021 | 675,578 | -14,122 | -2.05% |
2020 | 689,700 | 19,975 | 2.98% |
2019 | 669,725 | 1,953 | 0.29% |
2018 | 667,772 | 3,552 | 0.53% |
2017 | 664,220 | 1,876 | 0.28% |
2016 | 662,344 | 6,255 | 0.95% |
2015 | 656,089 | 10,348 | 1.6% |
2014 | 645,741 | 9,366 | 1.47% |
2013 | 636,375 | 10,551 | 1.69% |
2012 | 625,824 | 13,135 | 2.14% |
2011 | 612,689 | 8,045 | 1.33% |
2010 | 604,644 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 545,524 | 57,150 | 11.7% |
1990 | 488,374 | 32,723 | 7.18% |
1980 | 455,651 | 7,648 | 1.71% |
1970 | 448,003 | 277,129 | 162.18% |
1960 | 170,874 | -3,433 | -1.97% |
1950 | 174,307 | 6,905 | 4.12% |
1940 | 167,402 | 13,536 | 8.8% |
1930 | 153,866 | 35,524 | 30.02% |
1920 | 118,342 | 7,978 | 7.23% |
1910 | 110,364 | 29,499 | 36.48% |
1900 | 80,865 | 4,697 | 6.17% |
1890 | 76,168 | 32,818 | 75.7% |
1880 | 43,350 | 17,485 | 67.6% |
1870 | 25,865 | 8,877 | 52.25% |
1860 | 16,988 | 6,823 | 67.12% |
1850 | 10,165 | 3,236 | 46.7% |
1840 | 6,929 | 1,363 | 24.49% |
1830 | 5,566 | 5,266 | 1755.33% |
1800 | 300 | -683,663 | -99.96% |