
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is among the 15 fastest-growing large cities in the United States, according to new population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau and disseminated by the Tennessee State Data Center.
Of the 15 fastest-growing large cities—those with a population of 50,000 residents or more—10 were in the South.
“Overall, cities in the South continue to grow at a faster rate than any other US region,” said Amel Toukabri, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s population division. “Since the 2010 census, the population in large southern cities grew by an average of 9.4 percent. In comparison, cities in the West grew 7.3 percent, while cities in the Northeast and Midwest had much lower growth rates of 1.8 percent and 3 percent, respectively.”
The statistics released today cover all local governmental units, including incorporated places, minor civil divisions, and consolidated cities. The Census Bureau will release additional population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the nation, states, and counties June 22.
In Tennessee, Murfreesboro has been the fastest-growing large city for the past three years. Its population increased from 126,061 residents in 2015 to 131,947 residents in 2016. Franklin, Tennessee, has been the second-fastest-growing city for the past two years.

Most of the state’s cities with 50,000 or more residents experienced growth.
Visit the Census Bureau for a complete list of 2016 Tennessee incorporated city and minor civil division population estimates.
The Tennessee State Data Center is a local partner to the Census Bureau. Its mission is to provide efficient access to census data and products, training, and technical assistance to data users, and feedback to the Census Bureau on data usability, as well as responding to state and local government data needs and operational issues. It is housed within the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business.
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CONTACT:
Melissa Stefanini (865-974-6070, tnsdc@utk.edu)
Lydia McCoy (865-974-6086, lmccoy5@utk.edu)