It’s indisputable that Nashville’s growing, but has the city over-stepped its capacity? It depends who you ask. As traffic creeps back to the streets and tourists continue to bustle on Broadway, there’s a definite ‘dealing with the public’ that happens once you leave home if you live in Nashville. 

Having lived in Nashville since 2003, there’s a noticeable transition that’s taken place over the past several years. A trip to downtown Nashville is reminiscent of larger urban areas and the ‘feel’ on certain streets is one of a much larger city. Skyscrapers dot the skyline. Well known luxury hotel brands like the Omni are now an option where once the best place to stay was the Vanderbilt Lowe’s. 

Along with Nashville’s growth has come traffic and parking problems. While some like to complain about the city’s traffic and parking options, others find the level of congestion a welcome reprieve - traffic in Nashville remians much lighter than in places like Boston or Los Angeles.

If you’ve tried to purchase a home in Nashville lately, you’ve likely been aced out. With more than 80 new people a day calling the city home, there’s been an influx of homebuyers outstripping demand. In fact, as of June 2021, the city has officially surpassed $5 billion in issued construction permits this fiscal year representative of the impressive amount of construction growth and demand.

While Nashville’s growth is palpable, what do the stats say? In 2010, Nashville was home to about 603,000 residents. By mid-2019, the population had grown to about 671,000, just over 11 percent growth in nine years. While Nashville itself has grown substantially in the last ten years, some of its outlying cities are on fire. Murfreesboro has experienced a 34.6% population increase and Franklin a 32.8% sum in number of residents. 

So, with all this evidence of crowding, has Nashville surpassed a tolerable number of humans living in one place? It depends on your perspective. If traffic bothers you and standing in line to place a lunch order isn’t your cup of tea, you might try looking at some of Nashville’s less populated or outlying areas like Bell’s Bend or White’s Creek to call home. Or, maybe you’re just ready to hang up your cowboy hat and move elsewhere.