Academic Research

Our faculty help inform public policy through research in economics, education, health and taxes.

Publications & Reports

The Boyd Center conducts research on behalf of multiple public entities to reveal key insights about the economy in Tennessee and across the nation, as well as the efficacy of public programs.

Tennessee State Data Center

The Tennessee State Data Center, housed within the Boyd Center, disseminates data from the U.S. Census Bureau and is a designated State Data Center.

Featured Research

Despite worries about inflation, responses from the most recent Tennessee Business Leaders Survey are upbeat about Tennessee’s economy. About seven-tenths of respondents expect it to be better than the national economy over the next year, largely due to good business investment and strong government leadership. We summarize key themes that emerge in our Winter 2022 report.

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The College Pipeline in East Tennessee

The COVID-19 pandemic may have fundamentally altered the trajectory of college-going, retention, and completion rates for students nationwide and the Drive to 55 in Tennessee. During a forum in May 2022, we reviewed the data on key student metrics for East Tennessee, examined the evidence on the causes of shifting student behavior, and evaluated possible policy options with key stakeholders.

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2020-2070 Population Projections

Every two years, the Boyd Center publishes population projections for Tennessee’s 95 counties. The data includes forecasted population, age, race/Hispanic ethnicity and sex for each county in the state.

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2022 Economic Report to the Governor

Tennessee forecasts, current as of December 2021, are based on an array of assumptions, particularly at the national level, which are described in Chapter One. Chapters Two and Three details major sectors of the Tennessee economy. Finally, Chapter Four provides a look at the Tennessee labor market, examines the impact of the pandemic and subsequent partial labor market recovery, and details how the recovery has varied across several dimensions.

Read the 2022 Report

Tennessee Economic and Fiscal Indicators

As Tennessee grappled with COVID-19 during the height of the initial pandemic, the Boyd Center partnered with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration to produce a series of weekly and monthly data that showed how it affected Tennessee’s economy.

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Cars At Gas Pump

Business Leaders Survey: Inflation Woes Still Alive but Beginning to Ease

Views on inflation are beginning to soften as many state business leaders believe Tennessee’s economy is on a much better trajectory than the nation’s, according to the most recent survey by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. Conducted in August, the Tennessee Business Leaders Survey shows respondents easing out […]

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