State Briefs | Tennessee Town & City - Tennessee Municipal League

THEC: Tennessee higher ed enrollment up 1.3%

Enrollment at public community colleges and universities in Tennessee has increased for the fall 2026 semester with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission recording 228,352 students enrolled. This is a 1.3% gain – approximately 2,933 students – from last year’s numbers. First-time freshman...

TVA records several power demand records in September 2026

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has reported it set multiple high power records in September due to unseasonably high temperatures across the region. TVA said the powerful heat dome sent temperatures above 100 degrees, leading to homes, businesses, and industries consuming significantly more...

TACIR: Tennessee faces $400M budget shortfall in highway maintenance

Tennessee has a $400 million gap in the cost of operating, maintaining, and improving its highways, according to a a recently released report (opens in a new tab)by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). The study conducted by TACIR found that either increasing taxes or borrowing...

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Tennessee's August 2026 unemployment rate remains steady

Tennessee’s August unemployment rate held steady for a second month at 3.4%. Data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) indicates the rate for July and August is the lowest unemployment Tennessee has experienced this year, and is down one-tenth of a percentage...

(Photo by Tennessee Department of Revenue)

Tennessee's August 2026 revenues $54.6M above estimates

Tennessee revenues exceeded budgeted estimates for the month of August with Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson reporting total August tax revenues were $1.7 billion, $54.6 million more than the budgeted estimate, and $88.1 million more than August 2025.

The total tax...

Tennessee launches Music Advisory Council

The state of Tennessee has created a new Tennessee Music Advisory Council (TMAC). TMAC aims to build and sustain a community-led music advocacy organization that supports music professionals through economic opportunity, professional development, stronger networks, and accessible spaces while...

TNECD unveils QUBIT program

The Tennessee Department Economic and Community Development (TNECD) has announced the launch of the Tennessee Quantum Utilization Buildout Infrastructure and Technology (QUBIT) Grant Program, housed under TNECD’s Office of Innovation. The program will allocate $43 million to support the physical and...

Tennessee sees larger than average inflation in cost of basic needs, income

Approximately 41% of Tennessee households struggled to afford basic needs in 2024, according to a new report on affordability(opens in a new tab) in the state from the Sycamore Institute. The non-partisan public policy research center recently published the report looking on financial affordability and hardships in...

Tennessee one of nation's fastest growing states

Tennessee had the tenth fastest-growing population in the nation between 2024 and 2025, according to a new SmartAsset study(opens in a new tab) Using U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the study found Tennessee’s population increased by 0.88%, adding nearly 64,000 residents year-over-year. South Carolina was the topped rank...

Tennessee to receive $751.92M from Meta lawsuit

Tennessee is one of 47 states, along with Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories that will share in a landmark $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc., over addictive features that

Tennessee July 2026 unemployment lowest in two years despite economy shedding 400 jobs

Tennessee recorded its lowest unemployment rate in two years in July 2026. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported a 3.4% unemployment rate, down from 3.5% in both June

Tennessee state budget $418.2M above estimates for July 2026

Tennessee revenues exceeded budgeted estimates for the month of July with Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson reporting total July tax revenues were $2.2 billion, $418.2 million more than the budgeted estimate and $337.8 million more than July 2025.

The total tax growth...