Where does Knox County stand among Tennessee's fastest growing counties? Hint, it's high

Silas Sloan, Knoxville News Sentinel

We all know Knox County's population is growing. It's going to have 80,000 more people in 2045 than it does right now.

But is it the fastest-growing county in Tennessee?

Not quite. That title belongs to Rutherford County. But Knox County has the second-fastest growing population in terms of total people added, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. And it passed the half-million mark.

Knox County's population increased by 5,289 people from 2022 to 2023, growing from 495,380 people to 500,669, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Rutherford County blew Knox County out of the water. It's smaller, but still grew by 6,419 people from 2022 to 2023. Hamilton County was a close third, growing by 5,262 people in that timeframe.

What are the fastest-growing counties in Tennessee?

Rank

County

2022 Population

2023 Population

Change

1

Rutherford

360,682

367,101

6,419

2

Knox

495,380

500,669

5,289

3

Hamilton

374,602

379,864

5,262

4

Wilson

158,593

163,674

5,081

5

Davidson

707,351

712,334

4,983

6

Montgomery

234,899

239,872

4,973

7

Sumner

203,721

207,994

4,273

8

Williamson

260,738

264,460

3,722

9

Maury

107,996

110,760

2,764

10

Loudon

  58,244

  60,591

2,347

How will Knox County's population grow?

Knox County has been a popular place for people to move to in recent years.

Knox News has talked to many new residents about why they moved to the area. There are a variety of reasons, from job opportunities to general lifestyle changes to retirement. East Tennessee's natural beauty and vibrancy of the community were other common themes.

Knox County has had an annual growth rate of 1.16% since 2019, according to the Boyd Center.
Knox County has had an annual growth rate of 1.16% since 2019, according to the Boyd Center.

It's impossible to predict exactly how many people will live in Knox County decades from now, but two key datasets from local organizations can give a good idea of how the growth will continue: the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.

The Boyd Center has a slightly different projection for 2024's population than the Census, estimating a population of 493,617

Their projections for Knox County's population by 2045 are:

  • Boyd Center: 577,721

  • Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization: 570,352

The Boyd Center numbers extend out to 2070, when it projects the county will have 685,291 residents.

Nashville Tennessean Investigative reporter Kelly Puente contributed to this story.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County is one of the fastest growing counties in Tennessee

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