The local economy of Tennessee and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
3.4%
-0.1 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Cheatham County 2.9%, highest Hancock County 5.5%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,426
+4.4%vs a year ago
3,254,064 jobs at 228,118 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
41,556
-6.7%this year vs last year
Most in Knox County 5,179, Davidson County 4,982.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
+42,740
+7.9 per 1,000residents
200,321 moved in and 157,581 moved out. Most newcomers came from Florida.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Tennessee gas price
$3.95
+$1.23vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Henry County $3.77, highest Lauderdale County $4.20. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Tennessee, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
150K
+1.5%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
2.97M
+4.4%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (15.3%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$175.8B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$59,170
Highest sector: Management of Companies and Enterprises $106,248.
Per employee per year
Share of Tennessee's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 265,577 | $22,607 |
| Employment Services | 149,084 | $39,949 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 130,812 | $78,482 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 118,357 | $106,248 |
| Offices of Physicians | 83,537 | $100,396 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 58,950 | $30,006 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 57,006 | $37,988 |
| General Freight Trucking | 55,158 | $59,595 |
| Grocery Stores | 55,018 | $27,647 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 52,817 | $49,517 |
| Religious Organizations | 49,233 | $26,871 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 47,974 | $68,649 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $100,000 a year in 6,272 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Tennessee, up 5.3% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Software Developers. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$100,000
+5.3%vs 2024
Middle half: $81,286 to $126,784.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
6,272
+10.5%vs 2024
8,348 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$115,482
Software Developers, 1,670 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$83,554
+136.3%vs 2024
1,155 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Tennessee, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 1,670 | $115,482 |
| Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians | 553 | $88,910 |
| Data Scientists | 427 | $96,491 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 272 | $89,575 |
| Industrial Engineers | 235 | $97,760 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 220 | $72,530 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 191 | $90,000 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 185 | $153,203 |
| Physicians, All Other | 113 | $260,000 |
| Statisticians | 95 | $86,320 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Express Corporation FDX | 535 | 7 |
| St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | 361 | 2 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC AMZN | 255 | 5 |
| Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 210 | 2 |
| HCA Management Services LP | 140 | 7 |
| The University of Tennessee | 133 | 5 |
| Vanderbilt University | 87 | 2 |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 80 | 14 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | 79 | 8 |
| Accenture LLP ACN | 75 | 6 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 1,561 | $108,846 | $85,966 to $133,869 |
| Memphis | 1,392 | $89,928 | $72,600 to $116,106 |
| Collierville | 596 | $98,182 | $87,400 to $117,661 |
| Franklin | 432 | $104,210 | $90,168 to $130,165 |
| Brentwood | 333 | $103,850 | $81,286 to $126,214 |
| Knoxville | 309 | $91,500 | $69,826 to $117,020 |
| Chattanooga | 247 | $93,142 | $79,749 to $114,627 |
| Oak Ridge | 216 | $120,932 | $87,984 to $137,808 |
| Mount Juliet | 131 | $120,650 | $98,862 to $135,538 |
| Spring Hill | 78 | $115,000 | $98,862 to $142,214 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Tennessee added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Tennessee has had 97 declared disasters and emergencies since 1963, 66 of them since 2000, most often Severe Storm. Flood insurance has paid $480.9 million on 17,706 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2010 ($233.0 million).
Declared disasters
66
49 major disasters. Most often Severe Storm (45 since 1963).
Since 2000, all types; 97 since 1963
Flood claims paid
$141.7M
3,888 claims. Biggest year 2010 ($233.0M).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
23,331
Average premium $1,149 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
24
Shelby County, latest Feb 6, 2026.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Tennessee, 1963 to today
Claims paid in Tennessee by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1963
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 92.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davidson County | 4,787 | $186.4M | 6,061 |
| 2 | Williamson County | 1,103 | $31.1M | 1,602 |
| 3 | Hamilton County | 1,748 | $30.3M | 2,196 |
| 4 | Cheatham County | 513 | $25.7M | 492 |
| 5 | Shelby County | 1,019 | $25.1M | 3,558 |
| 6 | Humphreys County | 235 | $15.7M | 112 |
| 7 | Sumner County | 706 | $14.4M | 1,128 |
| 8 | Wilson County | 575 | $11.2M | 993 |
| 9 | Montgomery County | 313 | $11.0M | 458 |
| 10 | Knox County | 598 | $7.90M | 1,033 |
| 11 | Dyer County | 297 | $7.32M | 266 |
| 12 | Rutherford County | 453 | $7.05M | 1,458 |
| 13 | Washington County | 152 | $6.05M | 286 |
| 14 | Cocke County | 85 | $5.84M | 154 |
| 15 | Smith County | 283 | $5.46M | 166 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Tennessee, from official public data.
Official public data lists 16,171 facilities in Tennessee with records since 2010, 16,096 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at Schnitzer Southeast LLC in Chattanooga ($1,550,000). 185 large facilities reported 37.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, down 2.9% from 2022.
Facilities with records
16,171
16,096 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$1.55M
Schnitzer Southeast LLC, Chattanooga.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
37.4M t
-2.9%vs 2022
185 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
9.46M t
Cumberland, Cumberland City.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Schnitzer Southeast LLC Chattanooga | $1,550,000 | 0 |
| Tennessee Operations Kingsport | $733,211 | 41 |
| Hamilton County Wastewater Treatment Authority, Signal Mountain Stp Chattanooga | $598,490 | 9 |
| Excel Tsd of Tn LLC Memphis | $544,420 | 31 |
| Arkansas Best Freight System Memphis | $535,000 | 0 |
| Abf Freight System, INC. - Nashville Nashville | $535,000 | 0 |
| Full Force Diesel Performance, INC Murfreesboro | $525,438 | 0 |
| Nyrstar Clarksville INC Clarksville | $485,400 | 22 |
| Portobello America, INC. Baxter | $419,625 | 5 |
| Tradebe Treatment & Recycling of Tennessee LLC Millington | $367,254 | 31 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Cumberland Cumberland City | 9,455,486 |
| Tva Gallatin Fossil Plant Gallatin | 4,208,774 |
| Eastman Chemical Company Kingsport | 3,679,916 |
| Kingston Kingston | 2,925,737 |
| Tva Allen Fossil Plant Memphis | 1,939,893 |
| John Sevier Combustion Turbine Combined Cycle Plant Tva Rogersville | 1,714,111 |
| Tva Lagoon Creek Ct Generating Plant (Lct) Brownsville | 1,215,209 |
| Valero Memphis Refinery Memphis | 1,201,210 |
| Tva Bull Run Fossil Plant Clinton | 830,801 |
| Signal Mountain Cement CO Chattanooga | 814,743 |
Large facilities in Tennessee, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Their facilities in Tennessee, 2022 to 2026. Click a company for its Risk & Compliance tab.
| Company | Facilities | Penalties | CO2e (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chemours Company CC | 1 | $46K | 298K |
| FedEx Corporation FDX | 29 | $23K | - |
| Tyson Foods, Inc. TSN | 14 | $20K | 40K |
| Vestis Corporation VSTS | 1 | $6,000 | - |
| General Motors Company GM | 1 | $4,500 | 50K |
| 3M Company MMM | 5 | $3,750 | - |
| The Sherwin-Williams Company SHW | 2 | $3,220 | - |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK-B | 1 | $3,000 | 112K |
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Tennessee, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Tennessee is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Tennessee, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Tennessee was 3.4% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 3.5% a year earlier. 3,366,389 people were employed out of a labor force of 3,486,012. Among its counties, Cheatham County had the lowest rate (2.9%) and Hancock County the highest (5.5%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Tennessee was $1,426 in Q1 2026, up 4.4% from a year earlier, across 3,254,064 jobs at 228,118 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 3,217 new homes in Tennessee in August 2026 (2,722 single-family and 429 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 28,115, down 6.7% from the same months last year, and 41,556 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Knox County (5,179), Davidson County (4,982), Rutherford County (3,490) over the last 12 months.
Yes. From 2022 to 2023, 200,321 people moved to Tennessee and 157,581 moved away, a net gain of 42,740 (+7.9 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Florida, California, Georgia, and most people who left went to Florida, Georgia, Texas.
Regular gasoline in Tennessee averaged $3.95 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.23 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $5.99. Among its counties, Henry County had the lowest regular price ($3.77) and Lauderdale County the highest ($4.20).
Health Care and Social Assistance (455,877 employees), Manufacturing (357,878 employees), Retail Trade (349,855 employees) were the largest sectors in Tennessee in 2023. In all, 150,129 business locations employed 2,971,417 people at an average pay of $59,170 a year.
$100,000 a year was the median pay offered in 6,272 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Tennessee in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), up 5.3% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $81,286 to $126,784. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
Federal Express Corporation (535), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (361), Amazon.com Services LLC (255), Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) (210), HCA Management Services LP (140) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Tennessee in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Software Developers (1,670 filings, median $115,482), Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians (553 filings, median $88,910), Data Scientists (427 filings, median $96,491) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Tennessee in fiscal year 2025.
$120,932 was the median offered pay in Oak Ridge, the highest among the Tennessee cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (216 filings).
$83,554 a year was the median pay offered in 1,155 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Tennessee in fiscal year 2025.
97 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Tennessee since 1963, 66 of them since 2000 (49 major disasters). The most common type is Severe Storm (45 declarations).
Shelby County, with 24 declarations since 2000, followed by Jackson County (23) and Houston County (22). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$480.9 million on 17,706 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2010, with $233.0 million paid on 4,724 claims. Davidson County received the most ($186.4 million).
$1,149 a year in 2025, across 23,331 flood insurance policies in Tennessee. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.