According to the University of Tennessee estimates; Rutherford County will top 305 thousand people by the end of 2016 and by 2018 we will have a population of 332 thousand residents. This type of growth brings challenges as well as opportunities, according to a recent email from Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell. In the email Mitchell asked, "Will our existing infrastructure be sufficient to handle the influx of new people?"
Mitchell further stated, "Schools, roadways, potable water and sanitary waste disposal are all challenges which will require thoughtful planning and deliberation. How will we allocate limited resources to accommodate this rapid growth? 2017 and 2018 will prove to be years which test us as a community. I have faith our leaders are up to the task at hand and look forward to working with each of them to find sustainable solutions to these pressing challenges."
The report from the University of Tennessee further suggested, "Approximately 69 percent of the population growth in Tennessee from 2010 to 2040 is expected to occur in Rutherford, Davidson, Williamson, Knox, Shelby, Montgomery, Wilson, Hamilton, Sumner, and Sevier Counties."
By year 2030, Rutherford County is expected to have a population count of 442,691 residents. In year 2064, the recent study shows that Rutherford County will hold 787,164 residents.
Highlights from the UT county-level projections:
- Middle Tennessee is expected to lead the state in population growth. Five of the 10 counties with the highest projected growth rates through 2040--Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Robertson, and Sumner--are in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
- Among counties with populations greater than 25,000, Fayette, Montgomery, Sevier, Loudon, and Cumberland Counties are also in the top ten for projected growth rates.
- Approximately 69 percent of the population growth in Tennessee from 2010 to 2040 is expected to occur in Rutherford, Davidson, Williamson, Knox, Shelby, Montgomery, Wilson, Hamilton, Sumner, and Sevier Counties.
- By 2040, the Hispanic/Latino population will more than double to 11.2 percent, compared to 4.5 percent in 2010.
- The proportion of the population characterized as "non-white, non-black, non-Hispanic" is expected to increase to 7.9 percent by 2040, compared to 3.2 percent in 2010.
- Tennessee's population is expected to be 17.2 percent black non-Hispanic by 2040, compared to 16.3 percent in 2010.
- The proportion of senior citizens and elderly is expected to increase in Tennessee, due to both the aging of the baby boomer generation and increased life expectancy. As of the 2010 census, there were 99,917 individuals aged 85 and older in Tennessee. That number is expected to triple to more than 330,000 by 2040.
UTK Census Projections: http://cber.bus.utk.edu/popproj.htm
