There’s a reason Justin Timberlake bought a home in Franklin, Nicole Kidman took up residence in Nashville, and that Tennessee is inviting you to “take a walk in Memphis.”
The best places to live in the Volunteer State are some of the best places to live East of the Mighty Mississippi.
To find Tennessee’s best places, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the 95 cities over 5,000 people based on factors like home prices, incomes, and safety. The data comes directly from the Census, FBI, and Zillow.
So, grab some Tennessee BBQ, crank some Elvis, find a sunny spot in Graceland, and read on as we uncover the best places in Tennessee.
$149,920 median income · $485,879 median home · #1 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeIt used to be that Jack Daniels, and Dolly Parton were the most common names to come out of Tennessee; but now, we can add Germantown to that list. Located slightly southeast of Memphis, this small town in Shelby County, has held strong for the last two years as the #1 best place to live in Tennessee.
But, don’t roll out the red carpet just yet, home prices here are upwards of $485,879 and your median household income needs to be somewhere in the area of $149,920/year to cover your cost of living. In fact, Germantown is one of the richest places in the Volunteer State.
However, don’t write off Germantown completely. You’ll be happy to know that you have a better chance of getting a job here than being part of a crime as both the the unemployment rate and crime rate in Germantown are well below the national average.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$119,528 median income · $922,855 median home · #2 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Williamson County, TennesseeIf you’re looking for a place close to Nashville without Music City’s hassle, Franklin is about the best that you’ll find–and, the overall 2nd best place to live in Tennessee. However, Franklin’s cost of living is on the higher end. This city is the 2nd best for home prices at $922,855 and you’re going to have to make the median household income of $119,528/year to live comfortably. Not surprising, these numbers also put Franklin on the map as one of the wealthiest places in Tennessee.
And, folks, this is most evident where old and new “country” collide on the corner of Main Street and 5th Avenue in the city’s affluent downtown area. You can stroll the Franklin Farmers Market and shop in the many boutiques by day and you can enjoy Franklin’s nightlife sipping on whiskey at one of their distilleries or singing along to your favorite country songs at one of their honky tonks by night.
That’s not all. Franklin scored a 9.5/10 for education on our SnackAbility scale. So, if you were wondering if this place has great schools, they do. This city of 87,133 residents is also one of the safest. The crime rate here is 47% below the national average.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$141,008 median income · $623,275 median home · #3 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Hamilton County, TennesseeIf you’re looking for a signal to move to Tennessee’s 3rd best place to live, Signal Mountain can give you just that. And if you’re looking for a place that is safe, with cool mountain homes, and a bunch of fun, outdoor activities, Signal Mountain can help with that too.
Located slightly northeast of Chattanooga, along the Tennessee River and the great Walden Ridge, Signal Mountain is one of the least populated places and it has the 6th lowest crime rate on our list. Yes, it’s going to take a special kind of person to live in Signal Mountain–one who can make a median household income of $141,008/year. The upside to this number, a higher cost of living means less people and less crime.
But, if you can afford Signal Mountain, it’s worth it. You can spend your days hiking and biking the trails at Chickamauga Creek and your evenings tapping your toes at the Mountain Opry.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$182,088 median income · $1,393,273 median home · #4 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Williamson County, TennesseeLike a finely tuned guitar on a night of the Grand Ole Opry, Tennessee’s 4th best place to live, Brentwood, is perfect. In order to obtain perfection, the city of “Burning Faith,” had to produce some pretty big SnackAbility scores: and it did just that.
This classic Nashville suburb scored a 9.5/10 for its strong job market, a 9.5/10 for its great schools, and an 8.5/10 for its low crime rate. And here’s why: the unemployment rate in Brentwood is well below the national average. The people here work hard and will expect you to do the same if you decide to call their pride and joy home–they currently have the lowest percentage of people on public assistance. The schools here are performing and the locals are educated: their Crockett Elementary School is a Blue Ribbon School and the percentage of residents with a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree is well above the state and national average.
Do we think this is why Brentwood is one of the safest places in Tennessee? We can’t say for sure, but the odds are in their favor.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$107,807 median income · $320,515 median home · #5 best place in Tennessee
Medina, Tennessee, has a median home value of $320,515, indicating the demand for living in this Gibson County gem. The city’s 5,407 residents benefit from a strong 107,807 and a low 3.3 unemployment rate. Medina’s location allows for a reasonable 24 minute commute to nearby cities like Jackson.
The town’s commitment to education is evident through top-performing schools like South Gibson Elementary and South Gibson High School. These factors make Medina an attractive place to live in Tennessee.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$177,148 median income · $836,736 median home · #6 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Williamson County, TennesseeThe livability factors that have made Nolensville the 6th best place to live in Tennessee include–but are not limited to–the city’s cost of living, low crime, great schools, and a strong job market.
Located 35 minutes southeast of Nashville, in Williamson County, Nolensville has the 2nd highest income and the 16th lowest unemployment rate at 2.4%. If you can afford the $836,736 price for a home here, you’ll think that you’ve won Best Country Vocalist at the CMAs. But, if you want to be able to afford the overall cost of living in Nolensville, you’d probably be better off winning the Tennessee Lottery instead: it’s pretty expensive here.
However, don’t let a couple of dollars stand between you and a better quality of life in Nolensville. If you do, you’ll be missing out on the fun, “Nolensville” things to do: like, mingling with the community at the local brewery or biking the trails at one of the city’s five parks.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,013 median income · $523,264 median home · #7 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Williamson County, TennesseeHop on the I 65 and cruise about 25 minutes south of Franklin and you’ll run right smack dab into Tennessee’s 7th best place to live, Spring Hill. The crime rate in Spring Hill tells us that they’re not robbing banks and they’re not robbing each other, so it just must be good ‘ol fashioned hard work that has this city’s household median income up around $112,013/year and the poverty rate the 11th lowest in the state. Heck, we shouldn’t be too surprised considering the unemployment rate here is 2.1%.
Spring Hill’s level of commitment to excellence is also evident in their great schools. The elementary and secondary schools here are constantly earning high marks and families have taken notice making Spring Hill one of the best places to raise a family.
Speaking of family friendly, Spring Hill has the youngest population of residents with a median age of 36. So, if you’re looking for those first time “Mommy and Me” groups, you’ll find those here. And if you’re looking for other young singles, you’ll find that here as well: Spring Hill is one of Tennessee’s best places for singles.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$138,598 median income · $509,893 median home · #8 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeYou’ve probably already heard of Collierville because Parade Magazine named it “One of the Best Main Streets in America”. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s also the 8th best place to live in Tennessee. All eclectic coffee shops and quaint cafes aside, Collierville earned our ranking due to its cost of living, low crime rate, low unemployment rate, and the fact that the people here value education.
Here’s an inside look to Collierville’s numbers–the job market in this Memphis suburb is strong and the unemployment rate is the 40th lowest in the state. Incidentally, Collierville is 6th in the state for the least number of people living in poverty. To live comfortably, however, you’re going to need a job that pays the median household income of $138,598/year.
And if you’re looking for a great place for your family, Collierville is one of the best places to raise a family in The Volunteer State. Besides great schools for your kiddos, you’ll be happy to know that over half of Collierville’s residents hold a degree as well.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$70,246 median income · $418,364 median home · #9 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Hamilton County, TennesseeThe 9th best place to live in Tennessee, Collegedale is a thriving Hamilton County suburb of just 11,330 residents. An unemployment rate of 1.6%, the 4th lowest in Tennessee.
Southern Adventist University keeps Collegedale’s economy humming and draws educated residents to a place where only 7.3% live below the poverty line. For one of the best small Tennessee cities to call home, these numbers here are hard to argue with.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$81,963 median income · $390,045 median home · #10 best place in Tennessee
Located in
Blount County, TennesseeFor those of you who had your heart set on living close to the Great Smoky Mountains and Dollywood, but didn’t want to sacrifice first class for mediocrity, you’re in luck, Tennessee’s 10th best place to live, Maryville, is nestled right there in the center of it all.
But, if you want to keep up with the Maryville locals, your cost of living budget needs to include a household median income of $81,963/year to afford the 23rd lowest home prices in the state. The unemployment rate in Maryville is quite a bit higher than the national average. The silver lining, however, if you don’t find a job that pays Maryville’s median income, this Blount County city has the 38th commute times; in fact, you can be in Knoxville in 25 minutes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Tennessee’s statewide median.
Tennessee statewide median: $69,595
Tennessee statewide median: $333,651
Tennessee statewide median: 4.7%
On the map
Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Tennessee
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Tennessee
Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Tennessee, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit cities with populations over 100,000 against places with a population of 18?
We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.
So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:
- Cities — Populations over 5,000
- Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
- Small Towns — Populations below 1,000
We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Tennessee have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’
Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.
We ranked each place in Tennessee across a number of criteria from one to 95, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Tennessee.”
The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Unemployment Rate
- Commute Time
- Crime
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty rates
Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking Tennessee’s best places to live.
If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Tennessee. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Germantown at the end of the cul-de-sac.
The full plate
Best Places To Live In Tennessee Table
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Best Score | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income | Rent | Total Crime /100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germantown | 14.30 | 40,673 | 3.2% | $485,879 | $149,920 | 1,320 | |
| 2 | Franklin | 15.25 | 87,133 | 2.2% | $922,855 | $119,528 | 1,111 | |
| 3 | Signal Mountain | 15.85 | 8,860 | 2.4% | $623,275 | $141,008 | 530 | |
| 4 | Brentwood | 16.45 | 45,556 | 2.6% | $1,393,273 | $182,088 | 781 | |
| 5 | Medina | 19.65 | 5,407 | 3.3% | $320,515 | $107,807 | 425 | |
| 6 | Nolensville | 20.60 | 15,074 | 2.4% | $836,736 | $177,148 | 272 | |
| 7 | Spring Hill | 21.05 | 55,765 | 2.1% | $523,264 | $112,013 | 712 | |
| 8 | Collierville | 22.25 | 51,515 | 4.0% | $509,893 | $138,598 | 1,413 | |
| 9 | Collegedale | 23.10 | 11,330 | 1.6% | $418,364 | $70,246 | 865 | |
| 10 | Maryville | 23.20 | 32,392 | 3.0% | $390,045 | $81,963 | 642 | |
| 11 | Hendersonville | 25.00 | 63,091 | 4.3% | $521,094 | $97,200 | 851 | |
| 12 | Farragut | 25.50 | 24,634 | 2.3% | $688,601 | $142,093 | 3,555 | |
| 13 | Mount Juliet | 25.55 | 42,073 | 3.8% | $562,745 | $107,068 | 1,177 | |
| 14 | Bartlett | 26.05 | 56,876 | 3.4% | $321,267 | $102,070 | 1,496 | |
| 15 | Greenbrier | 27.95 | 6,971 | 1.8% | $382,696 | $85,174 | 617 | |
| 16 | Jonesborough | 30.80 | 6,232 | 1.7% | $334,165 | $74,015 | 1,589 | |
| 17 | Oakland | 31.75 | 9,979 | 3.3% | $353,491 | $97,798 | 641 | |
| 18 | Red Bank | 32.25 | 12,010 | 3.8% | $307,145 | $63,983 | 1,582 | |
| 19 | Thompson’s Station | 33.65 | 8,294 | 6.4% | $815,216 | $132,647 | 1,111 | |
| 20 | Pleasant View | 33.85 | 5,276 | 6.4% | $416,777 | $109,213 | 360 | |
| 21 | Fairview | 34.05 | 10,009 | 3.3% | $560,109 | $91,131 | 619 | |
| 22 | Goodlettsville | 34.25 | 17,597 | 6.1% | $389,925 | $70,758 | 1,006 | |
| 23 | Gallatin | 34.60 | 48,532 | 3.1% | $435,264 | $77,518 | 1,032 | |
| 24 | White House | 35.20 | 14,631 | 2.9% | $388,293 | $90,019 | 1,073 | |
| 25 | Murfreesboro | 36.60 | 161,445 | 4.3% | $426,292 | $80,108 | 2,564 | |
| 26 | Atoka | 36.90 | 10,385 | 4.5% | $350,767 | $89,663 | 722 | |
| 27 | Kingston | 38.55 | 6,224 | 8.1% | $329,855 | $71,675 | 434 | |
| 28 | Erwin | 39.45 | 5,988 | 3.2% | $223,111 | $47,487 | 815 | |
| 29 | Church Hill | 39.50 | 7,139 | 13.9% | $261,209 | $65,526 | 308 | |
| 30 | Lakeland | 39.75 | 14,192 | 2.8% | $445,695 | $116,250 | 9,313 | |
| 31 | Clinton | 40.00 | 10,239 | 1.4% | $332,661 | $68,882 | 2,647 | |
| 32 | Oak Ridge | 40.30 | 32,693 | 3.8% | $322,990 | $72,311 | 1,633 | |
| 33 | Soddy-Daisy | 42.10 | 13,231 | 6.0% | $359,449 | $75,113 | 763 | |
| 34 | Lebanon | 42.70 | 44,788 | 2.4% | $443,605 | $72,848 | 1,590 | |
| 35 | Arlington | 43.45 | 15,205 | 3.4% | $409,250 | $135,105 | 9,313 | |
| 36 | Millersville | 43.60 | 5,836 | 5.4% | $360,650 | $71,789 | 754 | |
| 37 | Tullahoma | 45.00 | 21,103 | 3.2% | $293,828 | $60,979 | 2,071 | |
| 38 | Clarksville | 45.15 | 176,456 | 5.5% | $318,206 | $69,303 | 2,145 | |
| 39 | Smyrna | 45.40 | 56,692 | 5.0% | $403,723 | $81,926 | 2,764 | |
| 40 | Winchester | 46.65 | 9,799 | 4.4% | $359,609 | $62,782 | 3,082 | |
| 41 | Munford | 47.10 | 6,588 | 7.9% | $287,684 | $89,531 | 1,123 | |
| 42 | Sweetwater | 47.70 | 6,532 | 2.7% | $256,822 | $45,451 | 1,761 | |
| 43 | Elizabethton | 47.70 | 14,374 | 5.5% | $229,442 | $46,975 | 1,691 | |
| 44 | Portland | 48.30 | 13,449 | 4.9% | $332,794 | $72,647 | 848 | |
| 45 | Columbia | 48.60 | 45,441 | 2.6% | $374,476 | $63,719 | 3,325 | |
| 46 | Knoxville | 49.05 | 195,185 | 4.5% | $369,216 | $54,039 | 3,555 | |
| 47 | Alcoa | 49.45 | 12,222 | 2.0% | $314,718 | $65,714 | 2,037 | |
| 48 | La Vergne | 49.75 | 40,243 | 2.2% | $346,622 | $81,313 | 2,291 | |
| 49 | Cookeville | 50.00 | 36,088 | 3.8% | $320,762 | $51,375 | 2,017 | |
| 50 | Greeneville | 50.25 | 15,646 | 8.4% | $248,040 | $49,889 | 2,186 | |
| 51 | East Ridge | 50.25 | 22,070 | 5.3% | $257,872 | $62,247 | 2,388 | |
| 52 | Bristol | 50.70 | 27,636 | 6.8% | $234,603 | $58,162 | 2,359 | |
| 53 | Cleveland | 51.10 | 48,829 | 6.0% | $311,237 | $58,559 | 2,875 | |
| 54 | Henderson | 52.00 | 6,411 | 3.3% | $177,752 | $45,938 | 780 | |
| 55 | Dickson | 52.20 | 16,424 | 4.8% | $344,966 | $69,678 | 2,886 | |
| 56 | Dayton | 53.30 | 7,625 | 1.3% | $264,804 | $49,719 | 1,639 | |
| 57 | Paris | 53.35 | 10,338 | 2.2% | $213,854 | $41,012 | 1,857 | |
| 58 | Kingsport | 53.40 | 56,262 | 4.9% | $254,341 | $52,490 | 3,453 | |
| 59 | Martin | 53.60 | 10,915 | 6.4% | $214,361 | $43,381 | 1,402 | |
| 60 | Chattanooga | 53.60 | 185,783 | 5.4% | $319,579 | $64,523 | 4,846 | |
| 61 | McKenzie | 53.75 | 5,631 | 4.0% | $189,718 | $37,236 | 994 | |
| 62 | Humboldt | 54.70 | 7,787 | 6.1% | $155,460 | $52,917 | 2,209 | |
| 63 | Mount Carmel | 55.85 | 5,472 | 7.4% | $262,492 | $68,866 | 3,453 | |
| 64 | Manchester | 56.05 | 12,944 | 2.2% | $325,769 | $57,500 | 3,276 | |
| 65 | Springfield | 56.65 | 19,255 | 4.7% | $331,464 | $59,465 | 1,340 | |
| 66 | Athens | 58.40 | 14,471 | 6.2% | $260,344 | $53,929 | 4,430 | |
| 67 | Millington | 59.70 | 11,289 | 4.7% | $238,393 | $49,979 | 4,597 | |
| 68 | Jackson | 60.35 | 68,435 | 8.1% | $227,078 | $53,032 | 4,102 | |
| 69 | Lawrenceburg | 60.65 | 11,844 | 7.8% | $240,472 | $42,343 | 1,841 | |
| 70 | Sevierville | 60.65 | 18,397 | 4.4% | $417,023 | $52,421 | 3,549 | |
| 71 | Pulaski | 60.85 | 8,285 | 7.2% | $250,196 | $48,538 | 2,812 | |
| 72 | Shelbyville | 61.00 | 24,661 | 3.8% | $313,350 | $55,073 | 2,437 | |
| 73 | Lafayette | 61.15 | 5,727 | 5.4% | $269,410 | $51,736 | 1,903 | |
| 74 | Smithville | 61.70 | 5,288 | 7.4% | $285,425 | $33,192 | 1,721 | |
| 75 | Newport | 62.40 | 6,881 | 0.6% | $227,027 | $31,250 | 5,086 | |
| 76 | Lewisburg | 63.00 | 12,861 | 5.5% | $299,243 | $48,341 | 2,760 | |
| 77 | Dyersburg | 63.40 | 15,979 | 7.4% | $165,487 | $52,064 | 5,989 | |
| 78 | Crossville | 64.10 | 12,428 | 7.2% | $304,997 | $48,802 | 3,339 | |
| 79 | Pigeon Forge | 64.80 | 6,375 | 3.5% | $423,694 | $53,261 | 3,937 | |
| 80 | La Follette | 64.85 | 7,273 | 7.5% | $161,647 | $37,581 | 1,182 | |
| 81 | Fayetteville | 65.60 | 7,057 | 5.7% | $254,902 | $49,223 | 2,820 | |
| 82 | McMinnville | 66.50 | 13,844 | 9.0% | $255,402 | $47,179 | 2,297 | |
| 83 | Madisonville | 66.55 | 5,241 | 6.8% | $286,953 | $39,878 | 2,652 | |
| 84 | Lexington | 67.05 | 7,962 | 8.3% | $216,845 | $49,057 | 2,411 | |
| 85 | Milan | 67.20 | 8,244 | 6.4% | $181,686 | $43,886 | 2,584 | |
| 86 | Morristown | 68.50 | 31,527 | 7.1% | $266,073 | $47,917 | 3,353 | |
| 87 | Memphis | 69.65 | 618,980 | 8.3% | $144,710 | $51,736 | 9,313 | |
| 88 | Covington | 69.90 | 8,587 | 8.8% | $208,119 | $42,254 | 3,622 | |
| 89 | Dunlap | 70.25 | 5,678 | 12.2% | $273,219 | $45,589 | 1,268 | |
| 90 | Savannah | 71.15 | 7,412 | 4.5% | $196,053 | $39,712 | 3,171 | |
| 91 | Rockwood | 71.35 | 5,566 | 10.5% | $230,191 | $47,791 | 2,713 | |
| 92 | Brownsville | 71.65 | 9,622 | 8.6% | $163,990 | $43,494 | 3,409 | |
| 93 | Harriman | 73.20 | 6,090 | 4.3% | $239,088 | $44,653 | 4,171 | |
| 94 | Bolivar | 79.25 | 5,144 | 13.2% | $147,015 | $39,028 | 3,733 | |
| 95 | Ripley | 79.55 | 7,658 | 8.2% | $140,001 | $37,432 | 3,852 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, Zillow research. 95 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places In Tennessee
If you’re looking at areas in Tennessee with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The best places to live in Tennessee are Germantown, Franklin, Signal Mountain, Brentwood, Medina, Nolensville, Spring Hill, Collierville, Collegedale, and Maryville.
Germantown made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Tennessee for 2026.
