RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Research from the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research projects that Rutherford County’s population has surpassed Hamilton County, making it the fourth largest county in the state.

Downtown Murfreesboro business owners like David Trett, who owns Red Bicycle, told News 2 they were not surprised by the new numbers.

“We're a Nashville based company, and then when we opened our first location out here and we realized the growth potential, along with the customer base, is incredible,” Trett said.  

Trett opened his first Rutherford County Red Bicycle location in 2019 and is now working to open his third.  

“It's all been because of the growth and how well they support local businesses, and I feel like they really want small businesses and not just the chains,” Trett said.

The Boyd Center projected the county’s population is now just under 389,000.

With the area’s growth has also come a diverse workforce, attracting a variety of new businesses.

“If you look at our top 10 employers, you'll see about six different industries, which is great for the diversity of our economy, so we would expect that continued growth across all different sectors to provide extra stability to our economy, but also to provide great employment opportunities to our residents,” Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Patrick Cammack said.

Michael Shirley is part of the Rutherford County Planning Commission, which is currently working to finalize Plan Rutherford. The plan looks at community input and lays out a guide for land development, public infrastructure and government services.

“The news that Rutherford County has shot up to the top four of the fastest growing and largest counties in Tennessee came as a shock to no one that has driven the roads of Rutherford County recently and seen the schools and infrastructure,” Shirley said while noting financial constraints. “So, putting the right things in the right places, through the county so that Rutherford County continues to be an attractive place for people to live.”

The planning commission has a work session coming up on July 28 where leaders will exclusively discuss Plan Rutherford. They welcome public feedback ahead of that meeting.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/rutherford-county-surpasses-hamilton-county-population/