Biggest Retail Cities in Tennessee: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Tennessee has 55,102 independent retail places spread across 403 towns. Nashville leads with 5,816 — 10.6% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Tennessee by the numbers
Where the stores are
Tennessee has 55,102 independent retail places — 773.2 per 100,000 residents, 1.07× the national average of 724.8 and 18th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Nashville holds 5,816 of them (10.6% of the state total). Memphis is second with 4,706 (8.5%). The 25 towns below account for 59.5% of Tennessee's retail; 403 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (5,513, 10.0% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (3,432).
Top 25 retail towns in Tennessee
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Tennessee's 55,102 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | 5,816 | 10.6% |
| 2 | Memphis | 4,706 | 8.5% |
| 3 | Knoxville | 3,985 | 7.2% |
| 4 | Chattanooga | 2,661 | 4.8% |
| 5 | Murfreesboro | 1,508 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Franklin | 1,380 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Clarksville | 1,341 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Johnson City | 1,044 | 1.9% |
| 9 | Jackson | 942 | 1.7% |
| 10 | Cookeville | 822 | 1.5% |
| 11 | Cleveland | 809 | 1.5% |
| 12 | Kingsport | 761 | 1.4% |
| 13 | Sevierville | 732 | 1.3% |
| 14 | Maryville | 640 | 1.2% |
| 15 | Hendersonville | 638 | 1.2% |
| 16 | Lebanon | 584 | 1.1% |
| 17 | Brentwood | 583 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Columbia | 561 | 1.0% |
| 19 | Crossville | 519 | 0.9% |
| 20 | Collierville | 482 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Mount Juliet | 475 | 0.9% |
| 22 | Pigeon Forge | 459 | 0.8% |
| 23 | Gatlinburg | 458 | 0.8% |
| 24 | Morristown | 453 | 0.8% |
| 25 | Bartlett | 419 | 0.8% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Tennessee
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Tennessee, with each one's share of the state's 55,102 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 5,513 | 10.0% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 3,432 | 6.2% |
| 3 | Clothing Store | 3,181 | 5.8% |
| 4 | Furniture and Home Store | 2,957 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Print Store | 2,262 | 4.1% |
| 6 | Hardware Store | 2,017 | 3.7% |
| 7 | Shoe Store | 1,985 | 3.6% |
| 8 | Cosmetics Store | 1,846 | 3.4% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Tennessee has the most retail stores?
- Nashville, with 5,816 independent retail places — 10.6% of Tennessee's 55,102 total. Memphis is next with 4,706.
- How many independent retail stores are in Tennessee?
- 55,102 shoppable independent retail places, or 773.2 per 100,000 residents (1.07× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Tennessee 18th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Tennessee?
- The construction supplies store: 5,513 places, or 10.0% of Tennessee's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 3,432.
Related reports
Store types where Tennessee ranks in the top 10
- Music Stores by State: Every State RankedTennessee ranks #4 per capita (9.4 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Rhode Island: Top 25 Towns Ranked8,168 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Carolina: Top 25 Towns Ranked39,138 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,453 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Texas: Top 25 Towns Ranked196,483 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Utah: Top 25 Towns Ranked20,933 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Vermont: Top 25 Towns Ranked6,835 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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