Best of Nashville
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Nashville has a consolidated city-county government, which includes seven smaller municipalities in a two-tier system. The population of Nashville-Davidson County stood at 613,856 as of 2006, according to United States Census Bureau estimates. The 2006 population of the entire 13-county Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area was 1,486,695, making it the largest and fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state. As the "home of country music", Nashville has become a major music recording and production center. All of the Big Four record labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in the Music Row area. Since the 1960s, Nashville has been the second biggest music production center (after New York) in the U.S. As of 2006, Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of $6.4 billion per year and to contribute 19,000 jobs to the Nashville area. In 2009, the Signature Tower will begin construction in Downtown Nashville. Standing at more than 1,000 feet above the ground, it will be the largest skyscraper outside of either Chicago or New York City and will be the seventh tallest building in the United States. Although Nashville is renowned as a music recording center and tourist destination, its largest industry is actually health care. Nashville is home to more than 250 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of hospitals in the world. As of 2006, it is estimated that the health care industry contributes $18.3 billion per year and 94,000 jobs to the Nashville-area economy. The automotive industry is also becoming increasingly important for the entire Middle Tennessee region. Nissan North America moved its corporate headquarters in 2006 from Gardena, California (Los Angeles County) to Nashville, with corporate headquarters temporarily located in the AT&T Building until 2008, when the Japanese auto maker will establish permanent headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. Nissan also has its largest North American manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. Other major industries in Nashville include insurance, finance and publishing (especially religious publishing). The city hosts headquarters operations for several Protestant denominations, including the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, and National Baptist Convention, USA., and the National Association of Free Will Baptists. Nashville has a small but growing film industry. Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Nashville, including The Green Mile, The Last Castle, Gummo, The Thing Called Love, Coal Miner's Daughter and Robert Altman's Nashville. Fortune 500 companies within Nashville include HCA Inc. (formerly Hospital Corporation of America) and Dollar General Corporation (in Goodlettsville). |
Nashville is the capital of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, although its Metropolitan Statistical Area population exceeds that of Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. Nashville is a major hub for the health care, music, publishing, banking and transportation industries.