Lebanon's public square continues to attract new tenants.
One of the nation’s fastest-growing cities is located right here in Middle Tennessee.
Lebanon is the 12th fastest-growing city in the country, according to recently released population estimates from the Census Bureau.
Top 15 Fastest Growing Cities
The Wilson County city, about 30 miles east of Nashville, grew 8.9% from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023.
The city and county have been a target for both new residents and corporate expansions in recent years. Multiple companies, including Bridgetown Natural Foods LLC, Lochinvar LLC and REI have announced plans to open manufacturing or distribution facilities in the community.
The state has announced close to 20 economic development projects in the county since 2020, totaling 6,300 jobs and over a billion in investment.
Lebanon’s leadership is also working to attract restaurants and other amenities. The city recently recruited sit-down restaurant Aubrey’s under a $1.5 million economic development incentive.
The South tops the Census' list of regions with the fastest-growing cities of a population of at least 20,000.
Cities in the South grew by an average of 1%. Celina, Texas, was the fastest-growing city, with a 26.6% increase.
"The population growth across the South in 2023 was driven by significant numeric and percentage gains among its cities," said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division, in a news release. "Thirteen of the 15 fastest-growing cities were in the South, with eight in Texas alone."
Metro Nashville gained more than 5,600 residents last year, making Music City the 21st largest city in the country. The city’s population increased 0.83%, to 687,788. Zooming out, Tennessee as a whole grew by 1.1%
New York City is the most populous city in the country, according to the Census Bureau, with 8.3 million residents.
