This city’s population decreased the most in Tennessee over past 5 years, study says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Major cities can see their population fluctuate over time, and one Tennessee city found itself ranked among the top U.S. cities that saw its population decrease over the last five years, according to a new study.

SmartAsset released its 2023 study of the cities that saw their population decrease the most between 2017 and 2022. Memphis was the only Tennessee city that was ranked in the top 30.

Memphis was ranked No. 27 after its population dropped nearly 5% (−4.78%) from 2017 (652,231) to 2022 (621,050).

Nashville and Chattanooga had a nearly 3% increase during the five years while Knoxville had a nearly 5% increase. Two cities in the Mid State, Clarksville and Murfreesboro experienced the most increases, with 15.51% (Clarksville) and 19.09% (Murfreesboro).

“This study examined the 344 U.S. cities that had a population of 100,000 or higher in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 1-Year American Community Survey. Cities were ranked by five-year population decline between 2022 and 2017. The population of men and women as a percentage of the whole was also examined. Population data includes people of all ages. Changes in population may be due to births, deaths or migrations,” SmartAsset said.

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