German Population in Tennessee by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The German population in Tennessee totals 628,865, with representation in every incorporated city included in this analysis. Leading communities are found in Clarksville (21,440), followed by Memphis (20,747) and Knoxville (18,325), reflecting a strong urban presence. Despite this broad municipal footprint, the statewide count exceeds the combined city totals - suggesting that many German residents may live in unincorporated areas or towns below the population threshold used here. The analysis below explores how German communities are distributed across Tennessee and how this compares with broader patterns nationwide.

Top 5 cities with the largest German population in Tennessee

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  • 1
    Clarksville
    German population in Clarksville is 21,440
    12.47% of Clarksville population is German
  • 2
    Memphis
    German population in Memphis is 20,747
    3.30% of Memphis population is German
  • 3
    Knoxville
    German population in Knoxville is 18,325
    9.46% of Knoxville population is German
  • 4
    Chattanooga
    German population in Chattanooga is 16,468
    9.01% of Chattanooga population is German
  • 5
    Murfreesboro
    German population in Murfreesboro is 14,825
    9.41% of Murfreesboro population is German

Overview of German population in Tennessee

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Tennessee with 628,865 German residents (9% of 7.0 million total state population), ranking the state at the 52nd percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for German demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Tennessee's German demographic representation of 9% remains below the national average of 12.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Tennessee's 628,865 German residents constitute 1.5% of the nation's total German population of 41.8 million, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data show Tennessee maintains 15.3 German Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 11.8, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
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284 Cities in Tennessee Ranked by German Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show German populations across all incorporated cities in Tennessee, with no cities recording zero residents identified as Americans of German birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Tennessee ranked by German population count
Rank by German Population
City
German Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Tennessee German Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Clarksville 21,440 12.47% 3.41%
2 Memphis 20,747 3.30% 3.30%
3 Knoxville 18,325 9.46% 2.91%
4 Chattanooga 16,468 9.01% 2.62%
5 Murfreesboro 14,825 9.41% 2.36%
6 Franklin 11,229 13.12% 1.79%
7 Johnson City 8,277 11.58% 1.32%
8 6,965 11.16% 1.11%
9 6,955 12.98% 1.11%
10 6,316 13.95% 1.00%
11 5,850 10.48% 0.93%
12 4,898 10.17% 0.78%
13 4,630 11.34% 0.74%
14 4,500 14.02% 0.72%
15 4,443 8.68% 0.71%
16 4,397 7.71% 0.70%
17 4,167 8.93% 0.66%
18 4,162 10.20% 0.66%
19 3,902 12.12% 0.62%
20 3,772 6.85% 0.60%
21 3,747 10.54% 0.60%
22 3,461 5.08% 0.55%
23 3,316 7.90% 0.53%
24 3,286 13.52% 0.52%
25 3,028 11.01% 0.48%
26 2,741 6.23% 0.44%
27 2,214 15.96% 0.35%
28 2,111 9.58% 0.34%
29 2,073 6.69% 0.33%
30 1,987 13.66% 0.32%
31 1,964 13.96% 0.31%
32 1,955 10.80% 0.31%
33 1,951 9.44% 0.31%
34 1,940 12.49% 0.31%
35 1,910 4.90% 0.30%
36 1,880 21.22% 0.30%
37 1,820 12.14% 0.29%
38 1,712 7.10% 0.27%
39 1,605 13.09% 0.26%
40 1,574 13.53% 0.25%
41 1,405 9.86% 0.22%
42 1,400 8.71% 0.22%
43 1,375 10.48% 0.22%
44 1,317 9.17% 0.21%
45 1,266 10.59% 0.20%
46 1,244 15.84% 0.20%
47 1,228 7.56% 0.20%
48 1,226 11.98% 0.20%
49 1,198 12.29% 0.19%
50 1,190 8.93% 0.19%
51 1,163 6.61% 0.18%
52 1,027 8.75% 0.16%
53 1,007 14.27% 0.16%
54 993 9.79% 0.16%
55 973 13.53% 0.15%
56 938 8.63% 0.15%
57 926 14.59% 0.15%
58 876 7.83% 0.14%
59 868 8.13% 0.14%
60 867 12.46% 0.14%
61 833 4.39% 0.13%
62 820 9.68% 0.13%
63 793 16.51% 0.13%
64 792 6.26% 0.13%
65 761 12.60% 0.12%
66 747 11.57% 0.12%
67 724 5.26% 0.12%
68 711 7.41% 0.11%
69 705 5.59% 0.11%
70 701 6.35% 0.11%
71 680 6.12% 0.11%
72 671 9.18% 0.11%
73 663 10.95% 0.11%
74 629 6.59% 0.10%
75 624 11.34% 0.10%
76 611 7.69% 0.10%
77 605 10.98% 0.10%
78 573 11.05% 0.09%
79 572 12.50% 0.09%
80 571 5.54% 0.09%
81 554 9.23% 0.09%
82 525 8.92% 0.08%
83 519 7.19% 0.08%
84 514 10.96% 0.08%
85 511 10.40% 0.08%
86 490 9.21% 0.08%
87 468 16.72% 0.07%
88 455 10.45% 0.07%
89 448 10.25% 0.07%
90 443 12.23% 0.07%
91 442 6.84% 0.07%
92 425 6.18% 0.07%
93 411 9.61% 0.07%
94 405 7.92% 0.06%
95 404 11.09% 0.06%
96 400 4.88% 0.06%
97 394 7.48% 0.06%
98 390 6.26% 0.06%
99 380 6.66% 0.06%
99 380 8.19% 0.06%
100 379 4.86% 0.06%
101 376 9.92% 0.06%
102 373 6.20% 0.06%
103 371 16.31% 0.06%
104 368 4.43% 0.06%
105 360 7.50% 0.06%
106 338 10.23% 0.05%
107 331 9.17% 0.05%
108 322 15.89% 0.05%
109 315 7.96% 0.05%
110 312 9.42% 0.05%
111 305 13.27% 0.05%
112 302 28.01% 0.05%
113 295 16.90% 0.05%
114 294 11.84% 0.05%
115 291 10.47% 0.05%
115 291 10.16% 0.05%
116 288 10.36% 0.05%
117 283 13.40% 0.05%
118 282 4.44% 0.04%
119 278 5.93% 0.04%
120 271 18.22% 0.04%
121 266 6.65% 0.04%
122 264 13.58% 0.04%
123 263 10.52% 0.04%
124 261 10.12% 0.04%
125 257 11.33% 0.04%
126 251 6.58% 0.04%
127 250 14.19% 0.04%
127 250 9.78% 0.04%
128 249 9.71% 0.04%
128 249 8.69% 0.04%
129 248 12.35% 0.04%
130 247 19.51% 0.04%
131 245 12.73% 0.04%
132 243 6.13% 0.04%
133 240 6.51% 0.04%
134 236 6.66% 0.04%
135 231 10.51% 0.04%
136 229 8.37% 0.04%
137 227 8.66% 0.04%
137 227 8.26% 0.04%
138 218 2.26% 0.03%
139 216 4.89% 0.03%
140 215 5.15% 0.03%
141 212 10.20% 0.03%
141 212 2.46% 0.03%
142 206 2.93% 0.03%
142 206 11.31% 0.03%
143 205 11.28% 0.03%
144 203 11.22% 0.03%
144 203 11.55% 0.03%
145 199 3.59% 0.03%
145 199 13.17% 0.03%
146 191 5.64% 0.03%
146 191 2.47% 0.03%
147 187 7.89% 0.03%
148 184 4.85% 0.03%
148 184 10.06% 0.03%
149 183 6.54% 0.03%
149 183 5.32% 0.03%
150 182 9.77% 0.03%
151 180 6.37% 0.03%
152 174 6.96% 0.03%
153 173 5.05% 0.03%
154 172 4.69% 0.03%
154 172 7.00% 0.03%
154 172 8.75% 0.03%
155 169 12.53% 0.03%
156 166 6.31% 0.03%
156 166 7.98% 0.03%
157 163 13.90% 0.03%
158 161 3.12% 0.03%
159 160 9.80% 0.03%
160 155 10.53% 0.02%
161 152 7.05% 0.02%
161 152 8.50% 0.02%
161 152 5.73% 0.02%
162 146 6.50% 0.02%
163 133 11.06% 0.02%
163 133 8.74% 0.02%
164 131 11.65% 0.02%
165 127 13.04% 0.02%
166 125 11.49% 0.02%
167 124 7.20% 0.02%
168 123 5.40% 0.02%
169 122 6.55% 0.02%
169 122 6.87% 0.02%
169 122 5.51% 0.02%
170 120 4.74% 0.02%
170 120 5.14% 0.02%
171 119 20.88% 0.02%
172 118 7.71% 0.02%
172 118 8.61% 0.02%
173 117 2.07% 0.02%
174 114 10.34% 0.02%
174 114 6.99% 0.02%
175 113 8.84% 0.02%
176 112 10.18% 0.02%
177 107 5.75% 0.02%
178 104 5.08% 0.02%
179 101 3.59% 0.02%
179 101 6.15% 0.02%
179 101 4.80% 0.02%
180 100 12.25% 0.02%
180 100 5.88% 0.02%
181 98 3.28% 0.02%
181 98 12.48% 0.02%
182 97 12.39% 0.02%
182 97 10.39% 0.02%
182 97 13.16% 0.02%
183 96 13.30% 0.02%
184 93 1.80% 0.01%
184 93 6.82% 0.01%
184 93 5.13% 0.01%
185 92 3.34% 0.01%
186 87 6.47% 0.01%
186 87 10.43% 0.01%
187 85 16.87% 0.01%
187 85 11.56% 0.01%
188 84 7.12% 0.01%
188 84 15.05% 0.01%
189 82 10.93% 0.01%
190 81 4.08% 0.01%
191 80 11.41% 0.01%
192 79 8.68% 0.01%
193 76 5.94% 0.01%
193 76 6.13% 0.01%
193 76 5.23% 0.01%
194 74 6.81% 0.01%
194 74 10.80% 0.01%
195 73 3.98% 0.01%
195 73 7.17% 0.01%
196 71 6.20% 0.01%
196 71 4.59% 0.01%
197 70 5.69% 0.01%
197 70 9.20% 0.01%
198 67 1.50% 0.01%
199 66 6.25% 0.01%
200 65 9.92% 0.01%
201 62 4.48% 0.01%
201 62 5.61% 0.01%
202 61 4.38% 0.01%
202 61 9.10% 0.01%
203 60 2.88% 0.01%
204 58 5.15% 0.01%
205 57 4.70% 0.01%
205 57 5.67% 0.01%
206 56 4.04% 0.01%
207 53 1.74% 0.01%
208 51 5.50% 0.01%
209 49 3.55% 0.01%
209 49 9.32% 0.01%
209 49 4.50% 0.01%
209 49 2.56% 0.01%
210 48 3.21% 0.01%
211 47 9.44% 0.01%
212 46 4.41% 0.01%
213 45 5.29% 0.01%
214 44 2.28% 0.01%
215 42 3.63% 0.01%
216 41 1.38% 0.01%
216 41 3.26% 0.01%
216 41 7.51% 0.01%
217 39 4.36% 0.01%
218 36 6.02% 0.01%
219 34 4.52% 0.01%
220 32 4.29% 0.01%
221 31 2.66% 0.00%
222 28 3.55% 0.00%
223 27 3.59% 0.00%
224 24 4.15% 0.00%
225 20 2.98% 0.00%
226 18 2.68% 0.00%
226 18 1.11% 0.00%
227 17 1.37% 0.00%
228 14 2.99% 0.00%
228 14 0.85% 0.00%
229 12 0.67% 0.00%
229 12 2.46% 0.00%
229 12 2.22% 0.00%
229 12 1.63% 0.00%
230 9 1.47% 0.00%
231 4 0.49% 0.00%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Tennessee by their German population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines German population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having German ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as German alone, while others identify as German along with another race (such as German and German).
  • We’ve used the “German alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the German population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as German alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as German .
  2. % of Total Tennessee German Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. German population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small German populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported German population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where German populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.