Metropolitan Statistical Areas are, according to the University of Tennessee Knoxville as areas "centered around counties containing a census-defined urban area with a population of 50,000 or more."[1]
| Rank | Metropolitan area | Population 2019 estimates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | align=center | 1,982,264 |
| 2 | Memphis | align=center | 1,324,926 |
| 3 | Knoxville | align=center | 869,046 |
| 4 | Chattanooga | align=center | 547,303 |
| 5 | Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol | align=center | 305,629 |
| 6 | Clarksville | align=center | 268,546 |
| 7 | Johnson City | align=center | 197,381 |
| 8 | Morristown | align=center | 137,612 |
| 9 | Jackson | align=center | 113,629 |
| 10 | Cleveland | align=center | 113,358 |
| 5,246,895 |
| Rank | Combined statistical area | Population 2009 estimates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Columbia | 1,666,566 | |
| 2 | Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville-La Follette | 1,053,627 | |
| 3 | Chattanooga-Cleveland-Athens | 690,400 | |
| 4 | Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol | 503,010 | |
| 5 | Jackson-Humboldt | 163,097 | |
| 6 | Martin-Union City | 71,704 |