Residents Are Fleeing These 5 Fastest-Shrinking Counties in Tennessee

Tennessee is located in the southern part of the United States and has experienced a significant population increase in recent years. According to the United States, Tennessee had a population of 6,910,786 in 2020 and is expected to grow to 7,051,339 in 2022, according to the Census Bureau.

The mass influx into the state was highly uneven from county to county, with some counties losing their population. Find the fastest declining counties in Tennessee and find out which of Tennessee’s 95 counties are declining and why.

The data in this article is based on the difference between 2020 Census data and her 2022 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This article examines the total number of residents lost in the county and the percentage of that number.

5. Lauderdale County

Lauderdale County is a region of western Tennessee bordering the Mississippi River near Arkansas. In 2020, Lauderdale County had a population of 25,139. However, the population has been declining over the last two years and the current estimate is for the county to have a population of 24,793.

This part of Tennessee has lost a total of 346 people, or a total of 1.37%, in the two years since the last census. This is by no means a large population decline. You may be wondering why this county is on the list of Tennessee’s fastest shrinking counties. Few of the 95 counties that make up Tennessee experienced a decline in population.

Even more interesting is that only some of the depopulated areas saw significant population declines of more than 1,000 people. So this county and the 4th and 3rd spots are meant to show that most of the state is gaining membership and the losses are mainly concentrated in the two counties.

4. Obion County

Obion County is located in northwestern Tennessee and borders southern Kentucky. In 2020, 30,788 people lived in the Obion County area. By 2022, that number has dropped to an estimated 30,394. This change means that about 394 people, or about 1.28%, have left the county in the two years since the last census.

This is not a significant population decline within the county, but it is an indication that people are leaving the area. However, the reason for the population decline is probably not clear due to low numbers of immigrants.

3. Lake County

Lake County is a county in the northwest corner of Tennessee. The region is bordered by Kentucky to the north and the Mississippi River and Arkansas to the west. The region as a whole is unusually sparsely populated.

Lake County had a population of 7,004 in 2020, but has dropped to 6,507 as of July 2022. This means that only 497 people were lost in the region in those two years. That’s a change of 7.1%, a pretty big drop for such a small population.

2. Davidson County

Davidson County is her second largest county in Tennessee. This county is in the center of the state and includes the city of Nashville. So it’s no wonder so many people live in this area. However, many have left the district. In 2020, Davidson County had a population of 715,875.

However, the US Census Bureau estimates that the population will drop to 708,144 as of July 2022. This corresponds to the loss of 7,731 people in two years. The decline equates to a change of 1.08% for her, making Davidson County one of the fastest-shrinking counties in Tennessee.

Several factors influenced the flight from this urban county, and they include:

• Huge property tax hikes
• COVID-19 restrictions and public policy
• General housing costs

These issues were common throughout many cities and surrounding suburbs. Future changes to these issues could lead to people moving back to places like Nashville in the future.

1. Shelby County

Shelby County is the most populous county in the state, but it is also the fastest-decreasing county in Tennessee. This county is located in the southwest corner of Volunteer State. Shelby County borders the Mississippi River and Arkansas to the west. It borders the state of Mississippi to the south. Memphis is in this county and the majority of the region’s population lives here.

A total of 929,722 people lived in Shelby County in 2020. But by July 2022, that number had fallen to 916,371 he. An estimated 13,351 people left the region during this period, a total decline of 1.44% of the population. This demographic change can be attributed to many factors.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to evacuate densely populated urban centers. Many lost their jobs, moved elsewhere to find work, or simply wanted to stay away from the city’s public politics.

Economic problems caused by the pandemic have pushed up the prices of housing and commodities. The cost of living in the area is below average, but sudden changes in taxes and housing costs may have pushed people out of densely populated Shelby County.

Overall, few counties in Tennessee have experienced population decline in recent years. However, this was the case in some areas, including the most populous areas of the state. Future census and series of assessments are needed to determine how many people left the area, why they left those counties, and whether they have returned.