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Location, affordability, jobs fueling area growth

Article published Jul 6, 2005

By ERIN EDGEMON
La Vergne is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state thanks to its proximity to metro Nashville and Interstate 24, affordable housing and job growth, said a local builder.
With a 7.6 percent growth rate from 2003-04, La Vergne ranks fifth in the state of Tennessee for overall population growth, according to population estimates recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. La Vergne's population in 2003 was 23,053. The population grew by 1,758 residents to 24,811 in 2004.

"La Vergne has the most affordable new construction closest to downtown Nashville," said Mark Thomason, a partner in Greenvale Homes, a home construction and development company based in Murfreesboro. "La Vergne is the most affordable place to get in the Rutherford County School System."

Thomason said the bulk of his company's growth has been in the La Vergne market. The company's sales are up 11 percent this year from the first six months of last year. Greenvale plans to close on 350 homes this year, an increase of 59 homes over last year.

Based on raw population numbers, all of the major cities in Rutherford County — Murfreesboro, La Vergne and Smyrna — are in the top eight for growth out of the 349 incorporated cities in the state, said David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU.

In terms of sheer numbers, Murfreesboro saw the largest population growth in the state, he said. Murfreesboro grew from 78,049 residents from July1, 2003 to 81,511 as of July 1, 2004, an increase of 3,462 residents.

Based on percentages, Murfreesboro ranked 18th in the state for population growth at 4.4 percent, Penn said.

Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg said, "Low taxes, great location, educational access and livability make Murfreesboro and Rutherford County a very attractive location, and so much of the migration from other areas has been due to job growth, which is good not only for new residents but for existing residents."

Still, the mayor said the city is concerned about its growing numbers. For the past three years the city has put in place demanding restrictions and standards on residential and commercial developments, Bragg said.

"I think our growth is sustainable," the mayor said. "The city works very hard to provide the services required for quality growth," including the planning and construction of roadways, rehabilitating water and sewer lines and ensuring the local electric departments can handle additional growth.

Smyrna's population increased from 30,691 in 2003 to 31,925 in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which is an increase of 1,234 residents or 4.0 percent.

Al Shannon, of Smyrna, drives through his hometown and La Vergne every day to get to his job in Nashville.

"I know it is crowded, that is about it," he said of growth in both cities.

Shannon, who works at Dell Computers, said even backroads in La Vergne are congested because of large housing developments and small, two-lane roads.

Mark Tucker, Smyrna finance director, said while he sees growth as a good thing for the town, staying ahead of the curve can be a challenge. The town is trying to keep up with growth by adding additional road widening projects to the town's budget every year. Smyrna also is adding three new police officer positions to the budget this year.

La Vergne Police Sgt. Gerry Howse, who lives in Smyrna, said both Smyrna and La Vergne are attractive cities because of low property taxes, industrial jobs and the rural setting that is still present just outside of the city limits.

Growth in the city of La Vergne means city officials will have "to work harder and faster to put infrastructure in place sooner rather than later," said La Vergne Alderman Jerry Gann, adding that the city's new water treatment plant is up and running and the city has many road widening plans on the way.

Despite added infrastructure, Gann admitted La Vergne will continue to have congested streets and other growing pains.

"I would much rather have a little more congested traffic than have no jobs and the things that you don't have if you have no employment," he said.

Howse, who has worked in La Vergne for 10 years, said growth in the city is hard to keep up with. "Our car volume has increased," he said, and the police department receives more calls.

"I think, you know, you have these people who want to keep that small-town mentality," Howse said, "but it is not a small town anymore."

The population growth in Rutherford County means nothing to Denise Decker, who moved to the county a year and a half ago from Columbus, Ohio. Decker, who moved to La Vergne a week ago from Murfreesboro, said the congested roads in the city are nothing compared to the heavy traffic in Ohio.

But Decker likes living in La Vergne because of its low rent prices and proximity to her job, she said.

Samantha Russell, who moved to La Vergne from Mesa, Ariz. in March, also said the population growth and related traffic do not impact her because she is used to living in a much larger city. She said it is fairly easy to get around La Vergne compared to Mesa, which has a population of more than 426,000.

From what she has observed so far, Russell, who plans to start graduate school at Tennessee State University in the fall, said La Vergne has plenty of room for additional growth.

Penn noted that Murfreesboro's population growth rate is less than half of the city's job growth rate.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Murfreesboro's job growth for the third quarter of 2004 was 9.2 percent.

"It suggests that the population growth rate may increase, being pulled up by the job growth rate," Penn said. "I think it is possible that the population growth may accelerate from where we are now."

Penn said no job growth percentages exist for La Vergne and Smyrna, but he expects rates in those cities to be as high or higher than Murfreesboro's.

In addition to job growth, cities in Rutherford County continue to be attractive to families because of the climate and the high quality of life, including access to cultural and recreational activities and a good school system, Penn said.

Estimates from federal income tax statistics show that roughly a third of newcomers into Rutherford County come from Nashville-Davidson County, another third move from another county in the state and the remaining newcomers move from out of state, he said.

Davidson County residents, drawn to Rutherford County because of low housing costs, often maintain their jobs in the northern county, Penn said.

The fastest-growing city in the state was Spring Hill, located in Williamson and Maury counties, with a 17.9 percent population growth, Penn said. He contributes the growth to the Saturn automobile manufacturing plant located in the town and to a growing number of families deciding to move outside of population centers like Franklin and Murfreesboro.