Statistics and Demographics

History

• Nashville was settled on Christmas Day in 1779, and Tennessee became a state in 1796.
• Nashville became the Tennessee state capital from 1812-1815 and then permanently in 1843.

Statistics

• Elevation: 550 feet (168 meters) at the lowest point; 1,100 feet (336 meters) at the highest point of the rim around the Nashville basin.
• Time: Central Standard (CST) early November – mid-March; Central Daylight: April – October.
• Nashville is the nation’s city with the second largest land mass, totaling 533 square miles.
• MSA is comprised of 13 counties; Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith,Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, Wilson 1 Nashville/Davidson County has a metropolitan government based on a 1963 plan that has become a national model. The county is largely urbanized with extensive residential areas, and population growth continues to increase due to transportation advantages, labor supply and development opportunities.
• 2011 Population:
  • Nashville = 649,112
  • MSA = 1,631,801
  • Source: US Census Population Estimates
• Downtown Nashville Residential Population Growth (based on new units added downtown):
  2002 Residents: 2,005
  2003 Residents: 2,114
  2004 Residents: 2,168
  2005 Residents: 2,242
  2006 Residents: 2,280
  2007 Residents: 3,219
  2008 Residents: 4,142
  2009 Residents: 4,986
  2010 Residents: 5,155
  2011 Residents: 5,754
  2012 Residents: 6,320
• 2010 Median Nashville Household Income: $47,975
  Source: 2009 US Census Bureau
• 2012 Nashville MSA Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
  Source: 2010 TN Dept of Labor and Workforce Development

Business Climate

Major industries in Nashville include: Automobile Production, Finance, Health Care Management, Higher Education, Insurance, Music Production, Printing & Publishing, Technology Manufacturing and Tourism.

Industry breakdown:

• Management, Information, Administration, Professional and Technical Services 19.0%
• Retail Trade 15.0%
• Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate 12.4%
• Health care and Social Assistance 10.7%
• Accommodation and Food Service 8.4%
• Transportation, Warehousing, and Wholesale Trade 8.2%
• Construction 8.2%
• Manufacturing 3.9%
• Education, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 3.9%
• Misc Services and Other 10.2%
  Source: 2009 US Dept of Commerce

Major companies and facilities headquartered in Nashville:

• AIM Healthcare Services Inc. (HQ)
• American General Life & Accident Insurance/AIG (HG)
• Asurion (HQ)
• Back Yard Burgers (HQ)
• BellSouth
• Big Idea Inc. (HQ)
• Broadcast Music Inc.- BMI (HQ)
• Bridgestone/Firestone Americas (HQ)
• Caremark (HQ)
• Caterpillar Financial (HQ)
• Central Parking Corp. (HQ)
• Century II Staffing, Inc. (HQ)
• CBRL Group Inc. (Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores and Logan’s Roadhouse) (HQ)
• CLARCOR (HQ)
• ClientLogic Corp. (HQ)
• CNA Insurance (Life & Long-term Care HQ)
• Cokesbury (HQ)
• Community Health Systems Inc. (HQ)
• Corrections Corporation of America (HQ)
• Country Music Television (HQ)
• Cumberland Swan Holdings Inc. (HQ)
• Doane Pet Care Co. (HQ)
• Dell Computer Corporation
• Dollar General Corp. (HQ)
• Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (HQ)
• Gaylord Entertainment Company (HQ)
• Genesco Inc. (HQ)
• Gibson Guitar Corp./Baldwin Pianos (HQ)
• Gideons International (HQ)
• Griffin Technology (HQ)
• HCA (HQ)
• Ingram Industries Inc. (HQ)
• Jonas Brothers Construction Co. (HQ)
• Keystone Education & Youth Services (HQ)
• Lifeway Christian Resources (HQ)
• Louisiana Pacific (HQ)
• Nashville Wire Products Manufacturing Co. Inc. (HQ)
• National Federation of Independent Businesses (HQ)
• National Healthcare Corp. (HQ)
• Nissan Motor Manufacturing USA (HQ)
• O’Charley’s Inc. (HS)
• Ozburn Hessey Logistics (HQ)
• Quanta Computer
• Pinnacle Financial (HQ)
• Primus Automotive Financial Services (HQ)
• Purity Diaries (HQ)
• Randall House Publications (HQ)
• Renal Care Group (HQ)
• Services Corporation Central Parking (HQ)
• Shoney’s Inc. (HQ)
• Star Transportation Inc. (HQ)
• Tennsco Corp. (HQ)
• Thomas Nelson Inc. (HQ)
• Tractor Supply Co. (HQ)
• United Methodist Publishing House (HQ)
• Universal Music (HQ)
• Vanguard Health Systems (HQ)
• Willis North America (HQ)

Cost of Living

Nashville consistently ranks among the lowest for cost-of-living in comparable cities across the nation, ranking more cost-efficient than Atlanta, Austin, Tampa and Indianapolis. The overall cost of living is 10.2% less than the national average, and 0.5% greater than the Tennessee average. All components (groceries, housing, utilities, etc.) of cost-of-living are typically below the national average.

Transportation

• Air — The Nashville International Airport has 12 airlines serving 89 markets and sees 380 daily airport arrivals and departures. The following is a list of the airlines with gates at the Nashville Airport: American, American Connection, American Eagle, Air Canada, Delta, Delta Connection, Frontier, Southwest, United Express, US Airways and US Airways Express.
• Road — Nashville is intersected by three major interstate highways: I-40, I-24 and I-65. I-440 is an inner beltway circling the city, and I-840 is a Southern outer beltway between I-40E and I-24E and between 1-24E and I-65S.
• Rail — Beginning operations in late 2005, the Music City Star Rail opened its East Corridor route. With service Monday through Friday, three daily morning and afternoon trains connect Donelson, Hermitage, Mt.Juliet and Lebanon to downtown Nashville. The East Corridor route covers 32 miles, and service between stops peaks at 60 miles per hour. Four additional routes will open in future years.

Hospitality Industry

• More than 50,000 jobs are directly related to the hospitality industry.
• Nashville hosted more than 11.0 million visitors in 2011 resulting in more than $4 billion in revenues for the city.
• Nashville has 36,260 hotel rooms in the city.
• Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is now the largest non-gaming hotel property in the United States with2,881 rooms and 288,999 square feet of exhibit space.
• The Nashville Convention Center features 118,675 square feet of exhibit space.
• The Music City Center, Nashville’s new downtown convention facility, is slated to open in 2013. The 1.2 million-square-foot structure, which is currently under construction, will feature more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, 128,000 square feet of meeting space, two ballrooms, a business center and a 2,500-seat theater.

Average Weather/Climate

Nashville typically enjoys a mild and pleasant climate with only a few days of the year having either very hot or very cold conditions. Most of the city’s rain is confined to the spring months, but a shower throughout the year is not unusual.

Spring is a delightful time in Middle Tennessee as the rolling hills are a lush, vibrant green. Because of the mild climate found here, many plants are well suited for the area including tulips, azaleas, irises, magnolias and dogwoods. Days are warm while evenings can be chilly.

Summer is ablaze with many concert festivals in Music City. Several nights during the week have live outdoor concerts scattered around town. Midday can be very warm as the humidity tends to be higher in the summer months. Light clothing and sunscreen is recommended for the full season.

Fall is a celebrated time throughout Tennessee. Visitors come from all over to see the annual changing of the leaves in mid-October. Days are warm and pleasant. Evenings require a sweater or light jacket. Since the weather is changeable, layered clothing is a good idea to accommodate sunny days and cooler nights.

Winter is a great time to visit the city’s many attractions decked out in their holiday finery as Nashville truly shines throughout the winter with millions of twinkling lights. Although the climate is mild, winter temperatures do range from cool to cold. If a snowfall occurs, it is usually in January or February and is seldom heavy. Use the chart above to help you pack for your visit to Music City.