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Statistics & 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.
  • Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is comprised of 13 counties: Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, Wilson
  • 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.
  • 2010 Population:
    • Nashville = 626,681 (a 10.0% increase over 2000)
    • MSA = 1,589,934 (a 21.2% increase over 2000)
      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: 5,566
  • 2009 Average Nashville Household Income : $68,223
    Source: 2009 US Census Bureau
  • 2010 Nashville Unemployment Rate: 8.9%
    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 Music City:

  • Vanderbilt University and Medical Center
  • HCA
  • St. Thomas Health Services
  • Nissan North America
  • Wal-Mart Stores
  • Kroger
  • Ingram Industries
  • Electrolux Home Products
  • Shoney's
  • Dell Computers
  • Randstad Work Solutions
  • Gaylord Entertainment
  • YMCA of Middle Tennessee
  • CBRL Group
  • AT&T
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • Verizon Wireless
  • National HealthCare Corp.
  • A.O. Smith Water Products
  • Community Health Systems Inc.
  • Walgreens Co.
  • Tennessee State University
  • State Farm Insurance
  • Tyson Foods
  • UPS
  • Regions Bank
  • Bridgestone Americas Holding
  • Trane Company
  • Bank of America
  • Middle Tennessee Medical Center
  • Deloitte and Touche
  • Williamson Medical Center
  • Lifeway Christian Resources
  • O'Charley's
  • American General Life & Accident Insurance
  • Wendy's
  • Asurion
  • Gateway Medical Center
  • Ford Motor Credit
  • SunTrust Bank
  • Gap, Inc.
  • The Tennessean
  • Triumph Aerostructures
  • Emdeon
  • Captain D's
  • Lowe's Cos. Inc.
  • Sumner Regional Medical Center
  • Convergys Corporation
  • Meharry Medical College
  • Dollar General Corp.
  • TriStar Health System

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 88.9% of the national average. (Source: 2010 ACCRA Cost of Living Index) All components (groceries, housing, utilities, etc.) of cost-of-living are typically below the national average.

TRANSPORTATION

Air — The Nashville International Airport has 13 airlines serving 89 markets and sees 385 daily airport arrivals and departures. The following is a list of the airlines with gates at the Nashville Airport: Air Canada, American, American Connection, American Eagle, Continental, Delta, Delta Connection, Frontier, Midwest, 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 11.5 million visitors in 2008 resulting in more than $3.9 billion in revenues for the city.
  • Nashville has 24,305 hotel rooms in the city.
  • Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is now the largest non-gaming hotel property in the United States with 2,881 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 375,000 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. The following monthly average chart will help you pack for your visit to Music City.

TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION
AVERAGE: DAILY HIGH DAILY LOW PRECIPITATION
JAN 46F / 8C 28F / -2C 4.5in / 11.4cm
FEB 51F / 11C 30F / -1C 4in / 10.2cm
MAR 60F / 16C 38F / 3C 5.6in / 14.2cm
APR 71F / 22C 48F / 9C 4.5on / 11.4cm
MAY 79F / 26C 57F / 14C 4.6in / 11.7cm
JUN 87F / 31C 65F / 18C 3.7in / 9.4cm
JUL 90F / 32C 69F / 21C 3.8in / 9.7cm
AUG 89F / 32C 68F / 20C 3.4in / 8.6cm
SEP 83F / 28C 61F / 16C 3.7in / 9.4cm
OCT 72F / 22C 48F / 9C 2.6in / 6.6cm
NOV 59F / 15C 38F / 3C 3.5in / 8.9cm
DEC 50F / 10C 31F / -1C 4.6in / 11.7cm

 

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