Tennessee Fast Facts:
Location, Location, Location…: Located in the southeastern United States, Tennessee is ranked 36th in the nation in total land area with 42,125 square miles. In 1796, the state became the 16th state to join the Union.
Cities: The capital and second largest city if Tennessee is Nashville, while other important cities include Memphis and Knoxville.
Behind the Name: It is nicknamed the “Volunteer State” in honor of courageous volunteer soldiers from Tennessee’s colonial history.
A Closer Look: Tennessee provides some acclaimed musical history, as Memphis is widely known as the “Birthplace of the Blues” and Nashville is esteemed as the country music capital of the world.
Did You Know? Tennessee’s beauty and diversity includes the greatest variety of birds of any state in the country.
Tennessee Careers and Employment:
Population: 6,214,888 (9.2% increase since 2000) - 51.2% Female, 48.8% Male (2008 U.S. Census Bureau).
Business Environment: Ranked 17th in Forbes Magazine’s “Best States for Business,” 2008.
Top Industries: In terms of paid employees, according to a 2008 U.S. Census Bureau study: (1) manufacturing; (2) retail trade; (3) health care and social assistance; (4) accommodation and food services; and (5) administrative and support and waste management and remediation services.
Taxes: Income Tax, limited to dividends and interest income and Sales Tax, 7% (Federation of Tax Administrators).
Cost of Living: 88.3 in relation to the “National Average” of 100 (Federal Cost of Living Index).
Quality of Life: Ranked 49th of 50 states by CNBC, 2009.
Weather: Average Temperature (In °F) – Jan: 36.32; Apr: 57.23; July: 77.29; Oct: 58.10 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
K-12: Ranked 40th of 50 states in “Academic Achievement” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2009.
Tennessee Economics:
In General: While Tennessee’s economy has been traditionally dependent upon agriculture, manufacturing and other industries have helped to economically diversify the state today. The biggest job producers in Tennessee are the service industry (33%), manufacturing (17%) and the finance, insurance and real estate industry (28%).
Service Industry: Community, business and personal services create the most income within the service industry.
Agriculture: In terms of revenue generated Tennessee’s top five agricultural products are beef cattle and calves, broilers (young chickens), soybeans, greenhouse and nursery products and cotton.
Manufacturing: Processed foods such as grain products, bread, breakfast cereals, and flour along with beverages including beer and whiskey are the most important sectors of Tennessee’s manufacturing industry. Two major automobile manufacturers have plants located in Tennessee, which also supports the associated automobile parts manufacturers.
Mining: Limestone deposits provide the greatest portion of Tennessee’s mining economy in the form of crushed stone, used for building roads and producing cement.
A Closer Look: One of the world’s largest delivery services, Federal Express is headquartered in Memphis. In addition, important regional health centers, colleges of medicine and large hospitals are found in metropolitan areas across the state.
Did You Know? Farmland still covers nearly half of the state of Tennessee.
Tennessee Education:
Find Colleges and Universities in Tennessee, here.
Sources: In addition to specific citations noted in this “Career Information” section, supplementary source materials include: the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Netstate.com; Education-Portal.com; USCollegeSearch.org; and Wikipedia.com.
