SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — One of the oldest counties in Tennessee, Sumner County was established in 1786.

"It was actually a county before Tennessee became a state. So next year, our nation will celebrate its 250th birthday, our county will celebrate its 240th birthday, and the state will celebrate its 230th birthday," said Ryan Baker, executive director of the Sumner County Museum.

Baker is a ninth-generation Sumner County resident. He said the area was important for railroad commerce and a major hub for agriculture.

"(There is) a lot of history. There's more state-owned historic sites in Sumner County, I believe, than in any other county in Tennessee," Baker said.

Many of the eight municipalities in Sumner County retain their historic charm, but propelled by Nashville's growth, the county is full steam ahead with new development and a population boom. 

"In the 1990s it was around 100,000 (residents); it's 207,000 now. The projection is, over the next five years, to grow another 20,000," said Chris Taylor, CEO and president of Forward Sumner,  the non-profit economic and workforce development partnership organization for the county. 

Taylor said the county has grown because of the focus on a strong school system and its cities actively recruiting commercial and industrial development. The county is home to Servpro, one of the largest Gap Inc. distribution centers, a Beretta firearms location and most recently, an 800-acre Meta data center.

"Our focus is making sure that as we grow, it's a strong, smart development that involves all the municipalities. That way there's a synergy where everybody's on the same page about what we're doing," Taylor said. "Municipalities are the most important part of the county, and it's understood 80 percent of the tax base for the county government comes from the municipalities. They're the ones that drive everything, especially Hendersonville and Gallatin as far as size."

Like many areas of Middle Tennessee, with the growth comes rising real estate prices.

"You look at the 1990s when there were 100,000 people up there, the average home price for a starter home in the Nashville area and surrounding was around $70,000 to $75,000, now we're looking at $300,000, $350,000," Taylor said.

To provide some affordable options, more townhomes and condos are being built. Taylor said smart growth starts with a focus on infrastructure improvements. He said with quality partnerships, real estate developers will take that on.

"They're going to be the ones that make those additions to the road, they're going to be the ones to expand it, to add turning lanes, so you get the benefit of infrastructure improvements that you normally wouldn't have had. The only reason they're coming about without impacting the tax base is by having development there," Taylor said.

Taylor credits the municipalities' planning departments for balancing the charm of their communities with the inevitability of growth. He said about 29,000 people commute into Sumner County every day, but about the same number commute out. Their goal over the next 10 years is to bring in enough jobs so those commuters don't have to leave where they live for work.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/sumner-county-continues-to-grow-flourish-and-attract-major-corporate-development/