MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nashville’s historic growth is having a halo effect on surrounding communities. Look no farther than Murfreesboro for a perfect example.

According to the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, 23 people move to the area every day. Murfreesboro is a magnet attracting new housing and new business.

The 2010 Census reported Murfreesboro with a population of 108,755. The Chamber’s web site shows that number has grown to 142,056 this year, with a projected population of 153,707 in the year 2024.

The population shift is keeping realtors busy. “It doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon,” said Shauna Mason of the Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX. “We’ve had a lot of retail stores come in. A lot of new restaurants, especially off Medical Center. That area is really growing. And downtown – they’ve done a lot of revitalization in that area as well.”

There are growing pains, too. Proposed development has some residents on edge. One such project would bring hundreds of new homes along the Cason Trail Road area. “That is going to completely change the character of every single neighborhood that this project is dumping its traffic into,” resident Barbara Higgins told News 2 this summer.

Rutherford County’s Housing, Health and Human Services Alliance told News 2 earlier this month that from 2018 to 2019, the area experienced roughly a 40% increase in homelessness.

News 2 has special reports on “Murfreesboro: The Good, The Bad, The Future” on Thursday, October 17th. We’re digging deeper into the impact of the area’s growth and how it is shaping future businesses, traffic, schools, and crime. See our special reports in every newscast and watch our live town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m.