State profile · TN
Largest Cities in Tennessee
Ranked by resident population across 482 tracked cities and towns in Tennessee, using Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). This compares cities and Census-designated places, not metropolitan areas.
- 482
- Cities
- 4,492,683
- Combined city pop.
- $63,248
- Avg median income
- 12.5%
- Avg poverty rate
Data updated July 2026
The headline finding
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) is the largest of 482 tracked cities in Tennessee, which ranks #41 of 52 nationally on avg median income.
- Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)
- largest tracked city (684,298 people)
- #41
- national rank, avg median income
- 482
- cities tracked in this state
Every figure here is read live from the same table rendered below.
87% of Tennessee's 482 tracked cities are small towns under 10,000 people -- none crosses the 1-million-resident mark.
How we calculate this mix & the national home-value percentile below
Every tracked city in Tennessee is bucketed by population: small town under 10,000; mid-size 10,000–99,999; large 100,000–999,999; megacity 1,000,000+. The national home-value comparison below plots Tennessee's average tracked-city home value against all 52 US states/territories, ranked the same way as the per-city percentiles: the state's percentile is the share of states with a lower average home value. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Largest cities in Tennessee
By population, hover or tap a bar for income detail
- Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
684,298 residents
- Memphis
Memphis, TN
629,063 residents
- Knoxville 193,721
Knoxville, TN
193,721 residents
- Chattanooga 182,832
Chattanooga, TN
182,832 residents
- Clarksville 171,897
Clarksville, TN
171,897 residents
- Murfreesboro 157,547
Murfreesboro, TN
157,547 residents
- Franklin 85,575
Franklin, TN
85,575 residents
- Johnson City 71,455
Johnson City, TN
71,455 residents
- Jackson 68,098
Jackson, TN
68,098 residents
- Hendersonville 62,390
Hendersonville, TN
62,390 residents
- Bartlett 56,998
Bartlett, TN
56,998 residents
- Kingsport 55,807
Kingsport, TN
55,807 residents
What this shows Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN is the most populous city profiled in Tennessee; the full list of all 482 cities follows below.
How Tennessee ranks nationally
Avg median income
$63,248
#41 of 52 · highest income
Avg home value
$216,498
#27 of 52 · highest values
Avg poverty rate
12.5%
#37 of 52 · lowest poverty
Tracked cities
482
#24 of 52 · most tracked cities
Tennessee ranks #41 of 52 nationally on average median income and #37 of 52 on average poverty rate, derived live by comparing it against every other tracked state. Averages are computed only across the cities PlainCities tracks in each state, not full state populations.
How Tennessee's home values compare nationally
Average tracked-city home value vs. all 52 US states/territories
$216,498 Among the most affordable more affordable than 52% of 52 US states
Each bar is a $50K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Which cities does Tennessee include?
What to do with Tennessee's city data
482 cities is a lot to browse, here's where to start.
- Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) is Tennessee's largest tracked city by population, start there if you want the fullest picture of a major TN metro. Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) profile
- Forest Hills has the highest median household income of any tracked city in Tennessee, a different lens than population size alone. Forest Hills profile
- See how Tennessee's cities stack up nationally, not just against each other. National rankings
City counts and averages on this page cover only the 482 places with sufficient Census ACS data, smaller towns below the reporting threshold are not included.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cities does PlainCities track in Tennessee?
PlainCities profiles 482 cities and towns in Tennessee, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the largest city in Tennessee?
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) is the largest tracked city in Tennessee, with a population of 684,298.
What is the average household income in Tennessee?
Across the 482 tracked cities in Tennessee, the average median household income is $63,248. Individual cities vary widely, with Forest Hills reporting the highest median income at $250,001.
What is the average poverty rate in Tennessee?
The average poverty rate across Tennessee's tracked cities is 12.5%, based on Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.