Rhea County vs. Tennessee
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Population Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Rhea County vs. Tennessee
Rhea County:
2022 Population = 33,730
2022 Percent of State = 0.48%
Tennessee:
2022 Population = 7,051,339
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.12%
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of Rhea County with comparisons to Tennessee and the nation at large. This analysis features alternative approaches toward discussing, diagnosing and comparing Rhea County vs. Tennessee's population growth over 1969-2022. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 traces Rhea County's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Rhea County's population rose from 17,116 in 1969 to 33,730 in 2022, for a net gain of 16,614, or 97.07%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces Tennessee's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Tennessee's population rose from 3,897,000 in 1969 to 7,051,339 in 2022, for a net gain of 3,154,339, or 80.94%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 portrays Rhea County's population growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Tennessee, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's population in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the populations in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in population growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Rhea County's overall population growth was 97.07% over 1969-2022 outpaced Tennessee's increase of 80.94%, and outpaced the United States' increase of 65.57%.
Population as a Percent of the Tennessee Total: 1969-2022
Population as a Percent of the Tennessee Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the population growth of Rhea County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Tennessee's statewide population over time, as shown in Figure 4. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than Tennessee's population, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Rhea County's population totaled 0.44% of Tennessee's population, while in 2022 it comprised 0.48% thereby yielding a +0.04% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+0.04%
=
0.48%
-
0.44%
 
   
Rhea County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Rhea County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 highlights the short-run pattern of Rhea County's population growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Rhea County's population grew at an annual rate of 1.30% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 1973 (4.93%) and recorded its lowest growth in 2015 (-0.91%). In 2022, Rhea County's population grew by 1.58%
Rhea County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Rhea County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again traces the annual percent change in Rhea County's population since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Rhea County's annual population growth rate averaged 3.20%. It averaged 0.39% throughout the 1980s, 1.47% in the 1990s, 1.20% throughout the 2000s, 0.32% during the 2010s, 1.00% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Rhea County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Tennessee and the nation. As the chart reveals, Rhea County's average annual population growth outgained Tennessee's average throughout the 1970s (3.20% vs. 1.52%), posted below Tennessee's average in the 1980s (0.39% vs. 0.69%), posted below Tennessee's average during the 1990s (1.47% vs. 1.51%), recorded above Tennessee's average in the 2000s (1.20% vs. 1.13%), amounted to less than Tennessee's average throughout the 2010s (0.32% vs. 0.85%), and outgained Tennessee's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (1.00% vs. 0.91%).
Finally, relative to nationwide population growth trends, Rhea County exceeded the nation over the 1970s (3.20% vs. 1.10%), trailed the nation in the 1980s (0.39% vs. 0.95%), led the nation in the 1990s (1.47% vs. 1.23%), exceeded the nation in the 2000s (1.20% vs. 0.95%), trailed the nation over the 2010s (0.32% vs. 0.74%), and outgained the nation over 2020-2022 (1.00% vs. 0.31%).
   
 
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.30
3.20
0.39
1.47
1.20
0.32
1.00
1.58
 
1.13
1.52
0.69
1.51
1.13
0.85
0.91
1.19
 
0.96
1.10
0.95
1.23
0.95
0.74
0.31
0.38
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Rhea County:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
17,116
100.0
N
0.44
1970
 
17,290
101.0
1.02
0.44
1971
 
17,722
103.5
2.50
0.44
1972
 
18,465
107.9
4.19
0.45
1973
 
19,375
113.2
4.93
0.47
1974
 
20,140
117.7
3.95
0.48
1975
 
20,605
120.4
2.31
0.48
1976
 
21,497
125.6
4.33
0.50
1977
 
22,115
129.2
2.87
0.50
1978
 
22,654
132.4
2.44
0.51
1979
 
23,433
136.9
3.44
0.52
1980
 
24,267
141.8
3.56
0.53
1981
 
24,344
142.2
0.32
0.53
1982
 
24,334
142.2
-0.04
0.52
1983
 
24,459
142.9
0.51
0.52
1984
 
24,516
143.2
0.23
0.52
1985
 
24,333
142.2
-0.75
0.52
1986
 
24,527
143.3
0.80
0.52
1987
 
24,447
142.8
-0.33
0.51
1988
 
24,295
141.9
-0.62
0.50
1989
 
24,342
142.2
0.19
0.50
1990
 
24,374
142.4
0.13
0.50
1991
 
24,713
144.4
1.39
0.50
1992
 
25,270
147.6
2.25
0.50
1993
 
25,774
150.6
1.99
0.50
1994
 
26,254
153.4
1.86
0.50
1995
 
26,774
156.4
1.98
0.50
1996
 
27,216
159.0
1.65
0.50
1997
 
27,669
161.7
1.66
0.50
1998
 
27,828
162.6
0.57
0.50
1999
 
28,153
164.5
1.17
0.50
2000
 
28,428
166.1
0.98
0.50
2001
 
28,601
167.1
0.61
0.50
2002
 
28,884
168.8
0.99
0.50
2003
 
29,257
170.9
1.29
0.50
2004
 
29,469
172.2
0.72
0.50
2005
 
29,919
174.8
1.53
0.50
2006
 
30,440
177.8
1.74
0.50
2007
 
30,769
179.8
1.08
0.50
2008
 
31,308
182.9
1.75
0.50
2009
 
31,717
185.3
1.31
0.50
2010
 
31,848
186.1
0.41
0.50
2011
 
32,028
187.1
0.57
0.50
2012
 
32,268
188.5
0.75
0.50
2013
 
32,385
189.2
0.36
0.50
2014
 
32,437
189.5
0.16
0.49
2015
 
32,143
187.8
-0.91
0.49
2016
 
32,219
188.2
0.24
0.48
2017
 
32,346
189.0
0.39
0.48
2018
 
32,515
190.0
0.52
0.48
2019
 
32,734
191.2
0.67
0.48
2020
 
32,934
192.4
0.61
0.48
2021
 
33,205
194.0
0.82
0.48
2022
 
33,730
197.1
1.58
0.48
Source: Calculations by the Tennessee Regional Economic Analysis Project (TN-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Tennessee:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,897,000
100.0
N
1.94
1970
 
3,936,975
101.0
1.03
1.93
1971
 
4,010,238
102.9
1.86
1.94
1972
 
4,088,445
104.9
1.95
1.95
1973
 
4,138,417
106.2
1.22
1.96
1974
 
4,201,621
107.8
1.53
1.97
1975
 
4,260,829
109.3
1.41
1.98
1976
 
4,329,160
111.1
1.60
1.99
1977
 
4,401,939
113.0
1.68
2.00
1978
 
4,461,639
114.5
1.36
2.01
1979
 
4,533,297
116.3
1.61
2.02
1980
 
4,600,252
118.0
1.48
2.02
1981
 
4,627,662
118.7
0.60
2.02
1982
 
4,646,043
119.2
0.40
2.01
1983
 
4,659,757
119.6
0.30
1.99
1984
 
4,686,743
120.3
0.58
1.99
1985
 
4,715,292
121.0
0.61
1.98
1986
 
4,738,708
121.6
0.50
1.97
1987
 
4,782,939
122.7
0.93
1.97
1988
 
4,822,438
123.7
0.83
1.97
1989
 
4,854,432
124.6
0.66
1.97
1990
 
4,894,492
125.6
0.83
1.96
1991
 
4,966,587
127.4
1.47
1.96
1992
 
5,049,742
129.6
1.67
1.97
1993
 
5,137,584
131.8
1.74
1.98
1994
 
5,231,438
134.2
1.83
1.99
1995
 
5,326,936
136.7
1.83
2.00
1996
 
5,416,643
139.0
1.68
2.01
1997
 
5,499,233
141.1
1.52
2.02
1998
 
5,570,045
142.9
1.29
2.02
1999
 
5,638,706
144.7
1.23
2.02
2000
 
5,703,719
146.4
1.15
2.02
2001
 
5,750,789
147.6
0.83
2.02
2002
 
5,795,918
148.7
0.78
2.02
2003
 
5,847,812
150.1
0.90
2.02
2004
 
5,910,809
151.7
1.08
2.02
2005
 
5,991,057
153.7
1.36
2.03
2006
 
6,088,766
156.2
1.63
2.04
2007
 
6,175,727
158.5
1.43
2.05
2008
 
6,247,411
160.3
1.16
2.05
2009
 
6,306,019
161.8
0.94
2.06
2010
 
6,356,320
163.1
0.80
2.05
2011
 
6,404,344
164.3
0.76
2.05
2012
 
6,463,111
165.8
0.92
2.06
2013
 
6,507,640
167.0
0.69
2.05
2014
 
6,558,710
168.3
0.78
2.05
2015
 
6,612,901
169.7
0.83
2.05
2016
 
6,672,356
171.2
0.90
2.06
2017
 
6,739,437
172.9
1.01
2.06
2018
 
6,806,545
174.7
1.00
2.07
2019
 
6,862,378
176.1
0.82
2.08
2020
 
6,925,619
177.7
0.92
2.09
2021
 
6,968,351
178.8
0.62
2.10
2022
 
7,051,339
180.9
1.19
2.12
Source: Calculations by the Tennessee Regional Economic Analysis Project (TN-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
201,298,000
100.0
N
1970
 
203,798,722
101.2
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
102.7
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
104.0
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
105.0
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
106.0
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
107.0
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
108.1
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
109.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
110.3
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
111.6
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
112.9
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
114.0
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
115.1
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
116.1
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
117.2
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
118.2
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
119.3
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
120.4
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
121.5
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
122.6
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
124.0
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
125.7
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
127.4
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
129.1
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
130.7
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
132.3
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
133.8
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
135.4
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
137.0
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
138.6
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
140.2
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
141.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
142.9
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
144.1
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
145.5
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
146.8
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
148.2
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
149.6
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
151.1
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
152.4
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
153.7
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
154.9
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
156.2
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
157.3
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
158.6
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
159.9
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
161.1
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
162.3
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
163.2
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
164.1
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
164.7
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
164.9
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
165.6
0.38
Source: Calculations by the Tennessee Regional Economic Analysis Project (TN-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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