Rutherford is currently the fourth most populated county in the state of Tennessee according to the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. According to the latest figures, Rutherford County is growing faster than any other county in the state with a surge of 6,419 people between 2022 and 2023. Special Census enquiries taking place in LaVergne, Smyrna and Murfreesboro in the last year are sure to show an increase in this figure. With the county’s population growing so rapidly, and the Boyd Center projects Rutherford County will become the third largest county in the state by 2050.
For eight consecutive years, Rutherford County has held the title of fastest growing with an average growth rate hanging above 2.0 percent. However, the rate of growth is slowing. It fell to 1.8 percent from the previous year’s rate of 2.7 percent. Since 1980, only three times has the county had a growth rate less than 2 percent.
According to the Boyd Center’s report,”…90 of the state’s 95 counties recorded population increases in 2023. That mark is up from last year when 81 of the state’s counties added population and higher yet than 2021 when 72 counties saw increases. Such widespread gains among counties haven’t been observed in Tennessee since the mid-1990’s…91 counties added population in 1995 during the decade that saw Tennessee’s largest and fastest growth in the state’s history.”
Rutherford County outpaced the growth of Nashville by almost 1,500 people. Knox County came in second in growth and Hamilton County came in third.
Exploding Topics recently reported that the “Nashville – Murfreesboro – Franklin” metropolitan statistical (MSA) was ranked as the 10th fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, growing at a rate of just over 15%. Austin, Texas is the fastest growing MSA in the country with a new resident growth rate of nearly 26%.
Axios Nashville reports that the Boyd Center has projected that Tennessee’s population will be about 8 million by 2040, with about one in five being 65 or older. It is the senior population that is one of the population growth drivers. The state’s population of adults aged 75-84 is expected to increase by 36%, and those aged 85 and above by 72%.
Not too long ago, WKRN reported that Murfreesboro’s number one issue is growth, according to Mayor Shane McFarland. The mayor went on to say in the news report that paying for that growth while keeping current residents happy has been a balancing act.
“Honestly, you can’t have everything; you can’t have low taxes; you can’t have low crime; you can’t have the best schools, the best parks, and not pay for it,” McFarland told WKRN.
Rutherford City Council member Kirt Wade loves that Murfreesboro is a big and growing city, but also a close-knit community. His goal is to continue to be part of the team managing the growth, because growth keeps coming. For more than 30 years Murfreesboro and Rutherford County have seen above average growth, but the pandemic brought even more. According to 2024 estimates, about 50 to 60 people are moving to the area every day.
“As we look at the growth of our city,” said Wade, “we want to manage our growth and control it. We have some key developments going on now in our city that will reshape [it] for the future. We look forward to the Keystone project that will reshape our downtown, Trader Joe’s entrance into the market, and the Clari Park development on Medical Center Parkway.”
Rutherford County is also growing more ethnically and culturally diverse, with a projected increase of the Hispanic/Latino Population to close to 10 percent of the population, and the Black population increasing by 4.1 percent by 2040, according to US Facts.
To manage this growth, over the last two years Rutherford County has been updating its comprehensive plan, called “PlanRutherford.” The updates are being made based on feedback from the community from public meetings and open houses, as well as research into current local and national growth trends. This plan will serve as a blueprint for addressing the needs arising from the county’s rapid growth.
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