News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The University of Tennessee’s annual State Economic Report predicts increased growth into 2025 statewide, including the Upper Cumberland.
Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research Director Don Bruce said the region was a “mixed bag” in 2024, especially in employment areas. However, overall Upper Cumberland growth stood on par with the state average. Bruce said the Upper Cumberland’s economic success is largely due to its proximity to Nashville and Knoxville, both of which are still growing as well.
“Those places are really expensive to live in right now,” Bruce said. “And I think the draw of Upper Cumberland is being able to work for one of those new companies, for example, that might be locating in those high-growth areas but be able to live with a little bit lower cost of living in some of the other areas around.”
Bruce said the Upper Cumberland’s personal income figures were not as strong as the major metropolitan areas but some counties did well, especially those along I-40. Bruce said it is difficult to predict the economic future of the Upper Cumberland on its own but it should see some of the growth projected statewide.
“The major headline is that we’re not forecasting a recession for the state of Tennessee,” Bruce said. “Things have been really good for Tennessee since the pandemic. We’ve grown more quickly than the U.S. for most of those years.”
Bruce said the Upper Cumberland’s growth is also helped by how easy it has become to commute or work from home to access jobs in major cities. Bruce said rural counties have not been growing as well as urban ones but the region has been keeping up with other rural portions of the state.
“Several of the other rural areas are a little further removed from those centers of economic growth and they haven’t done quite as well,” Bruce said.
Bruce said the state’s current situation would suggest that its growth is below the national average but the university’s forecast puts Tennessee back above the country in the next year and throughout the forecast horizon.
