Tennessee set an all-time record for new business filings in the first quarter of 2026, and Blount County’s own filing activity shows the same growth taking hold locally.
New business filings in the first quarter of 2026 were the highest for a first quarter in the 33-year history of the data, according to the new Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators report issued by Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office. The state also set an all-time record for annual reports filed, with 241,706 entities submitting reports during the quarter.
The 24,852 new entities that filed statewide mark a 20.6% year-over-year increase, and annual report filings jumped 30.4% year over year, with nearly 374,000 filed over the past 12 months.
Davidson County led the state with 4,095 new filings in the quarter, followed by Knox County at 2,813, then Shelby and Hamilton counties. Those four counties combined for 42.6% of new filings statewide, but Tennessee’s other 91 counties — including Blount — grew faster collectively, at 21% year over year.
Locally, the Blount County Clerk’s office recorded 357 new business license filings from January through March 2026, according to county records — an average of nearly four new businesses opening every business day. Filings continued at a strong pace through the spring, with the county logging 677 new business licenses over the first six months of the year.
The report also highlighted Tennessee’s continued population growth, which added nearly 64,000 residents in 2025 to reach 7.32 million statewide. Secretary Hargett attributed the momentum to the state’s low taxes, light regulation and fiscal management, which he said continues to draw people from across the country.
Dr. Don Bruce, director of the University of Tennessee’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, which co-produces the report, said the filing numbers reflect a durable entrepreneurial climate that strengthens local job markets and tax bases statewide.
The full Q1 2026 report is available at sos.tn.gov.
