Tennessee - Three Grand Divisions, 7 Million People, and No State Income Tax
Tennessee stretches roughly 440 miles from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains and is organized by long tradition into three grand divisions: East, Middle, and West. The state holds about 7 million residents across 95 counties and does not levy a state income tax on wages. Nashville, the capital and largest city at about 690,000, anchors Middle Tennessee. Memphis on the Mississippi River sits at roughly 630,000 and defines the western grand division, while Knoxville and Chattanooga dominate the east.
Nashville's identity is bound up with country music. The Grand Ole Opry has broadcast continuously since 1925, the Ryman Auditorium downtown served as the Opry's home from 1943 to 1974, and Music Row on 16th and 17th Avenues South still houses the recording studios and publishing companies that drive the industry. Healthcare is the other major sector: HCA Healthcare, one of the largest hospital operators in the country, has its headquarters in Nashville, and the city hosts hundreds of related firms in the surrounding counties.
Memphis is defined by the Mississippi River, Beale Street's blues heritage, Elvis Presley's Graceland estate, and FedEx, which runs its global SuperHub at Memphis International Airport. Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee and sits in the valley between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River where it cuts through the Appalachians, has rebuilt itself around the Tennessee Aquarium, the downtown riverfront, and a gigabit municipal fiber network. Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the North Carolina border is the most-visited national park in the United States, with more than 12 million visitors a year.
Outside the four major metros, Tennessee is rural. The Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, and the agricultural counties of West Tennessee form extensive stretches of farmland, forest, and small towns.
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Tennessee stretches roughly 440 miles from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains and is organized by long tradition into three grand divisions: East, Middle, and West. The state holds about 7 million residents across 95 counties and does not levy a state income tax on wages. Nashville, the capital and largest city at about 690,000, anchors Middle Tennessee. Memphis on the Mississippi River sits at roughly 630,000 and defines the western grand division, while Knoxville and Chattanooga dominate the east.
Nashville's identity is bound up with country music. The Grand Ole Opry has broadcast continuously since 1925, the Ryman Auditorium downtown served as the Opry's home from 1943 to 1974, and Music Row on 16th and 17th Avenues South still houses the recording studios and publishing companies that drive the industry. Healthcare is the other major sector: HCA Healthcare, one of the largest hospital operators in the country, has its headquarters in Nashville, and the city hosts hundreds of related firms in the surrounding counties.
Memphis is defined by the Mississippi River, Beale Street's blues heritage, Elvis Presley's Graceland estate, and FedEx, which runs its global SuperHub at Memphis International Airport. Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee and sits in the valley between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River where it cuts through the Appalachians, has rebuilt itself around the Tennessee Aquarium, the downtown riverfront, and a gigabit municipal fiber network. Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the North Carolina border is the most-visited national park in the United States, with more than 12 million visitors a year.
Outside the four major metros, Tennessee is rural. The Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, and the agricultural counties of West Tennessee form extensive stretches of farmland, forest, and small towns.
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