Why so few Americans live in Kentucky compared to Tennessee
- Thread starter KAB Cats
- Start date
I'm okay with them living anywhere but here. I like my space. 🤣
Many years ago, Louisville was the same size or bigger than those cities. Louisville and Memphis are probably similar in lack of growth over the years. Nashville, on the other hand, has exploded. White collar city - state government, universities, tourism, health care, etc. Compare that to the industrial base of Louisville and you get your answer to the OP question.
Metro Memphis and Louisville are basically the same size, Louisville has the larger CSA and TV market. Nashville has historically been smaller until its recent growth spurt which doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.
‘Recent’ meaning the last 50 years as Louisville and Memphis stagnated Nashville has been laying the groundwork to become what it is today. The Columbia (Louisville based company) and HCA (Nashville based company) merger of the early 90s has always been a symbolic changing of the guard of me on both cities status. Originally the company picked Louisville as the new HQ but ultimately settled in Nashville and is now the areas largest employer and Nashville is a healthcare hub while Louisville is hoping and praying Humana doesnt reduce its footprint any further.
That happened in same era Nashville was getting NFL and NHL teams while Louisville was about to double down on being a college town and let Jurich and his cronies run the city. Why does TN attract new residents while KY is stagnant? We dont have a city with its eye on the future, TN does.
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No state income tax may play a part, also. The relative fall off of the horse industry centralized in KY may also play a part. Not sure Louisville will ever get an NFL franchise. Pretty close to both Cincy and Indy and the population probably wouldn't support 3 teams - JMHO.
Part of Memphis' problem is the lingering stigma of it being a high crime city. Hard to attract employers with that hanging over its head.
Part of Memphis' problem is the lingering stigma of it being a high crime city. Hard to attract employers with that hanging over its head.
Tennessee developed their mountain region to attract millions in annual tourism revenue.
Kentucky? We blow up our mountain tops and don’t take too kindly to strangers round these parts.
Kentucky? We blow up our mountain tops and don’t take too kindly to strangers round these parts.
Louisville will never have an NFL lol unless there are 50+ teams. Why would they? Louisville doesn't even show up to college games.
-Tennessee benefitted from a massive federal welfare program in the TVA.
^not saying they're bad for doing so... but much of the good in East Tennessee should directly attributed to this.
-I think Eky is a beautiful place... but you can't compare it to the Smokies and Cherokee national forest. Apples/oranges.
I enjoy EKY has well. Have camped and kayaked several times in the area. It just seems to have poor infrastructure and a prevailing local attitude of “keep out.”
Great people live in that region, but it’s not unfair to say that opportunities to prosper without leaving are few and far between.
We missed out on the rust belt to sun belt migration 50s-80s. We were a unionized state and Tennessee was not.
Our populations were nearly identical until just after ww2. If you were picking up your industry to save labor costs, why land 100 miles from freedom?
The recent Nashville boom has a lot to do with no state income tax. If you are relocating across the country and a no state income tax state is right next door, it’s going to make a difference. It’s amazing to see the amount of cali tags driving down there.
Memphis is in its own bubble. I have family that owned retail stores there. Every local in charge of approving this or that permit or inspection wanted and received cash to make it happen. It was just treated as a cost of doing business. Memphis has a rep for a reason.
I don’t know anyone in Nashville with that experience. My friends there, in business for themselves, are just house flippers. They bitch about a lot of things, but not that.
Well if American Idol and The Voice are any indication the growth spurt is due to all the 20 somethings moving to Nashville to be the next Taylor Swift or Luke Bryan. It seems nearly every contestant they have lives in Nashville but moved there from somewhere else.
It's easy to become Taylor Swift. All you have to do is have a daddy who is big in the industry open some doors for you, make the most of your talent, market yourself like a boss and voila! You're TS 2.0.
If you want to go back to the 1930s when TVA was created yea, but for the last 70 years of so all of TVA's power generation funding has come from the sale of power. The only appropriated funds TVA has received is a small amount that has gone for non power generation programs like Land Between the Lakes. I'm not even sure if they get any federal funds now.
You could argue TVA has had a positive effect on the economy of Tennessee as the cost of power is among the lowest in the nation, which is very attractive to businesses that consume a lot of power. Also Tennessee has no state income tax
Despite having the same amount of area, East Tennessee has 1.7 million more people than Eastern Kentucky. That alone accounts for 70% of the population difference.
I've lived in both, and East Tennessee is just much more inhabitable. This enables better infrastructure opportunities and leads to the growth of medium sized cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga.
If you combine that with the growth in Nashville, there's your population difference. Plus, Cincinnati is on the wrong side of the river.
I've lived in both, and East Tennessee is just much more inhabitable. This enables better infrastructure opportunities and leads to the growth of medium sized cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga.
If you combine that with the growth in Nashville, there's your population difference. Plus, Cincinnati is on the wrong side of the river.
Kentucky is my home. Love it. Lived other places and still come back. Family, roots. etc.. End of discussion for me. Others will disagree. So what and who cares. Just my two cents.
Totally agree with this except I left for 10+ years to a place WHOLEY different from the Bible Belt/KY and when I tried coming back home it was not the same and I had outgrown it, I was a fish out of water and honestly want NOTHING to do with KY anymore except to visit friends and family.
Not really a fan of the need for everyone to be married, divorced, have kids, sit at home and never do anything but work and family for 6 days a week, stuck inside 4 months out of the year basically, rarely leave the county you reside in, act like anything that’s not normal in Kentucky must be absolutely crazy and liberal and stupid.
I do love the state and it’s beautiful, just zero desire to ever live there again unless Mom needs me.
Watched that video the other day. Hard to listen to that guy. And, I don’t think he mentions the printing industry that Nashville accepted way back. Louisville could have accepted that industry, but I heard passed. Not sure if that is historically accurate, but if it is, it may have changed the trajectory of the two cities.
I mean, it’s March 20 and it’s freezing in KY, no one should have time for that nonsense.
Even Daniel Boone loved Kentucky but left for good reason as well.
Even Daniel Boone loved Kentucky but left for good reason as well.
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Well. I live in Louisville. Not really part of the bible belt. Lived in Seattle and Atlanta too. Great places to live just didn't feel like home. Never had kids so I can relate.
Louisville is still absolutely the Bible Belt imo and probably anyone else around the country not from Kentucky but compared to the rest of Kentucky you’re correct.
Lex/Lou, although much different from the rural areas, still expect you to have at least been married once to prove you’re not a fag, but now divorced with children and awkwardly looking for your next wife to divorce when you’re inexplicably not happy with the next person because you yourself are still the exact same person so why would anything be different?
^somehow THATS “normal” but deciding to not get married and have kids is weird… “MAKE POOR DECISIONS LIKE THE REST OF US!!!” (basically).
Well. I guess we hang out with different kinds of people No offense. Hardly anybody I know thinks that way. Also, on the other side of the equation, from my extensive travels people in cities like San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, etc. think everybody in flyover country are hayseeds. I tend to not paint with such a broad brush. Good people everywhere.
I agree. So many friends getting married at ridiculously young ages, and getting divorced.
I have family in the Johnson City area and have lived there a short time myself. Other than the pumpkin orange everywhere there isn't a lot of difference in Kentucky and that area IMO. My daughter has lived in Memphis and it is a cesspool that should be fenced off from the rest of society.
The weather thing is bs unless you are in south Florida. The weather in Nashville is not much better than Louisville.
Well I basically am(well mid-Florida now) temp was a BEAUTIFUL 55 this morning and will be in the mid 70s today and all week. Was getting a little too warm at the beginning of the month but cooled off.
It’s literally freezing up there in KY this morning, yikes. Touch that.
52 and sunny in Louisville as I type. Literally not freezing. 😂
I have often wondered how these 2 similar states have managed to head in different directions. As stated above, immediately after WW2, these 2 states were nearly identical in terms of size, population and demographics. What has truly changed so much in 60 years? Some great points have been mentioned above.
1) No state income tax----surely something to this. Look at the states without it. Nearly every state without it is among the fastest growing in the nation. Who doesn't want to keep more of their money?
2) The difference between the states with how they have dealt with Appalachia. Great point made above that the majority of the difference in population/growth is contained in that area/promotion of the beauty of the area. Perhaps its UT, Smoky Mtns parks, etc. Not sure how Chattanooga has recovered from the loss of Steel production years ago but the last time I was there (10yrs ago) I was shocked at how much it had "cleaned up" from the late 70s- early 80s. One of my best friends has a child in college down there, and they absolutely rave about the town. Hard to imagine from years ago when it was not safe to get off the interstate.
3) Has river traffic and its importance been diminished over the years? Evidently. I have never been able to figure out why Louisville isn't bigger. Centrally located, on a major river, and most importantly----travelers HAD to depart in Louisville bc of the "Falls." Arguably, Louisville should be one of the largest cities in inland America. Further, Louisville is/was a MAJOR railroad hub. Yet, somehow the Ingram family (?--I believe of L&N Railroad) has chosen to invest their vast fortune primarily in Nashville vs Louisville. Ky has more navigable waterways than any state but Alaska. How do we promote/utilize this in todays society.
4)Has the existence/reputation of Vandy made Nashville the health care hub of the South? At one time Louisville had some of the best hospitals in the world. I think the first successful heart transplant occurred in Louisville. Why has Louisville not appeared to benefit?
I love this discussion and I am curious what others think. This is a question I have always pondered and would love to know other's thoughts. Cut taxes--personal and corporate. Promote economic growth? What can be done to help Eastern Ky? How can we promote it? Encourage growth etc? Grow Marijuana in the hills and export it?
1) No state income tax----surely something to this. Look at the states without it. Nearly every state without it is among the fastest growing in the nation. Who doesn't want to keep more of their money?
2) The difference between the states with how they have dealt with Appalachia. Great point made above that the majority of the difference in population/growth is contained in that area/promotion of the beauty of the area. Perhaps its UT, Smoky Mtns parks, etc. Not sure how Chattanooga has recovered from the loss of Steel production years ago but the last time I was there (10yrs ago) I was shocked at how much it had "cleaned up" from the late 70s- early 80s. One of my best friends has a child in college down there, and they absolutely rave about the town. Hard to imagine from years ago when it was not safe to get off the interstate.
3) Has river traffic and its importance been diminished over the years? Evidently. I have never been able to figure out why Louisville isn't bigger. Centrally located, on a major river, and most importantly----travelers HAD to depart in Louisville bc of the "Falls." Arguably, Louisville should be one of the largest cities in inland America. Further, Louisville is/was a MAJOR railroad hub. Yet, somehow the Ingram family (?--I believe of L&N Railroad) has chosen to invest their vast fortune primarily in Nashville vs Louisville. Ky has more navigable waterways than any state but Alaska. How do we promote/utilize this in todays society.
4)Has the existence/reputation of Vandy made Nashville the health care hub of the South? At one time Louisville had some of the best hospitals in the world. I think the first successful heart transplant occurred in Louisville. Why has Louisville not appeared to benefit?
I love this discussion and I am curious what others think. This is a question I have always pondered and would love to know other's thoughts. Cut taxes--personal and corporate. Promote economic growth? What can be done to help Eastern Ky? How can we promote it? Encourage growth etc? Grow Marijuana in the hills and export it?
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Well it was 35 this morning there when I got up. Not all of us go outside for the first time at 11am caveman. Also 52 is fuggghhhing chilly bro, it just feels warm to you…
Why do you want it to grow and change? What if people there don’t want it to change? Who’s idea of “better” gets approved?
I don’t think people will likely ever flock there except if it were gatlinburg-ish.
Not sure how Chattanooga has recovered from the loss of Steel production years ago but the last time I was there (10yrs ago) I was shocked at how much it had "cleaned up" from the late 70s- early 80s. One of my best friends has a child in college down there, and they absolutely rave about the town. Hard to imagine from years ago when it was not safe to get off the interstate.
I have visited Chattanooga quite frequently over the last 15 years. It is awesome. Great place for a short trip with the kids. Now that the kids are grown, me and the wife like to go there for weekend get aways. It is also fun for adults. I was very surprised that the reinsurgence of that city.
Nashville now is apparently one of the Country's hot spots for tourism. It is now of the top destinations for bachlorette parties and girls trips in general. Who would have thought LOL.
I have visited Chattanooga quite frequently over the last 15 years. It is awesome. Great place for a short trip with the kids. Now that the kids are grown, me and the wife like to go there for weekend get aways. It is also fun for adults. I was very surprised that the reinsurgence of that city.
Nashville now is apparently one of the Country's hot spots for tourism. It is now of the top destinations for bachlorette parties and girls trips in general. Who would have thought LOL.
The weather thing is bs unless you are in south Florida. The weather in Nashville is not much better than Louisville.
i was at the UK v ut fb game years ago and it was bitter cold. I went to the BR and 2 ut fans were complaining about the cold. Said, it’s always cold when we come here. Lol
first off, it was November and we always play the game in November.
second, it was probably only 5-10 degrees warmer in Tennessee. Still freezing cold in Tennessee but they acted like it was 80‘.
The current reason is no state income tax. Fort Campbell straddles the 2 States, yet 95% of the soldiers live in Tennessee. Drive down I24 and on the KY side is rolling fields and as soon as crossing the state line thousands of troop housing commences.
A several hundred dollar difference on each paycheck makes a big difference.
Also, many Tennessee communities still have a manufacturing plant that anchors the county, in KY many of those have moved to Mexico.
A several hundred dollar difference on each paycheck makes a big difference.
Also, many Tennessee communities still have a manufacturing plant that anchors the county, in KY many of those have moved to Mexico.
I've lived here since 1979. I don't remember the steel industry ever being that big of a factor to the economy. The biggest lost was probably Dupont. But Chattanooga is thriving with Volkswagen that continues to expand it's operations, now it's North American headquarters. The Ooltewah area where I live is like the 3rd fastest growing area in the state.
The downtown renewal was largely the project of former Senator Bob Corker who was mayor here before going to Washington. You're right it was a ghost town after 5:00 PM when I first moved here. But Corker turned downtown into a recreational and tourist area. The main thing is the Aquarium but the also have an arts district, climbing wall, IMAX theater, Southern Bell river tours & parties etc., and the annual Riverbend Festival
I live in Knoxville and grew up in Lexington. The 10 degrees difference between the two areas is a substantial one. Plus longer summers and shorter winters as the weather patterns break when they hit the mountains is very nice. Will be moving back to KY soon and not looking forward to giving up the more temperate climate.
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