The 10 Best Places To Live In Tennessee For 2026


The best places to live in Tennessee for 2026 are Germantown, Franklin, and Signal Mountain. Find out where your city or town ranks.

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.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


What is the best place to live in Tennessee? The best place to live in Tennessee for 2026 is Germantown.

To see Tennessee’s other best cities to live in, take a look below. You’ll also find a map, our methodology, and a complete breakdown of every place in Tennessee.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In Tennessee For 2026

Best Places To Live In Tennessee Map

Germantown, TN

Source: City Of Germantwon
Stat Germantown Tennessee
Population 40,673 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 1
Median Home Value $485,879 $333,650
Median Income $149,920 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 3.2% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0132 0.0268

More on Germantown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

It 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.

Franklin, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Franklin Tennessee
Population 87,133 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 4
Median Home Value $922,855 $333,650
Median Income $119,528 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 2.2% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0111 0.0268

More on Franklin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

If 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.

Signal Mountain, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Sam Poss | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Signal Mountain Tennessee
Population 8,860 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 2
Median Home Value $623,274 $333,650
Median Income $141,008 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 2.4% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0053 0.0268

More on Signal Mountain: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

If 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.

Brentwood, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Skye Marthaler | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Brentwood Tennessee
Population 45,556 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 3
Median Home Value $1,393,273 $333,650
Median Income $182,088 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 2.6% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0078 0.0268

More on Brentwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Like 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.

Stat Medina Tennessee
Population 5,407 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 9
Median Home Value $320,514 $333,650
Median Income $107,807 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 3.3% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0043 0.0268

More on Medina: Data | Crime | Movers

Medina, Tennessee, has a median home value of $320,514, 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 23 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.

Nolensville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Skye Marthaler | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Nolensville Tennessee
Population 15,074 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 5
Median Home Value $836,735 $333,650
Median Income $177,148 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 2.4% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0027 0.0268

More on Nolensville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 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 $836,735 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.

Spring Hill, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Skye Marthaler | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Spring Hill Tennessee
Population 55,765 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 7
Median Home Value $523,264 $333,650
Median Income $112,013 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 2.1% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0071 0.0268

More on Spring Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Hop 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.

Collierville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User DoxTxob | GFDL
Stat Collierville Tennessee
Population 51,515 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 6
Median Home Value $509,893 $333,650
Median Income $138,598 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 4.0% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0141 0.0268

More on Collierville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

You’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.

Collegedale, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Graham Patton | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Collegedale Tennessee
Population 11,330 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 13
Median Home Value $418,364 $333,650
Median Income $70,246 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 1.6% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0086 0.0268

More on Collegedale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Maryville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | CC BY 3.0
Stat Maryville Tennessee
Population 32,392 7,066,383
Rank Last Year 8
Median Home Value $390,045 $333,650
Median Income $81,963 $69,595
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 4.7%
Crime Per Capita 0.0064 0.0268

More on Maryville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

For 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.

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Tennessee

Best Places To Live In Tennessee Size Requirement

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

This filter left 95 cities, 175 towns, and 136 small towns.

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.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Tennessee

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.

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.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Tennessee according to the data:

  1. Harriman (Pop. 6,090)
  2. Bolivar (Pop. 5,144)
  3. Ripley (Pop. 7,658)

For more Tennessee reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In Tennessee Table

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income Rent Crime Per Capita
1 Germantown 40,673 3.2% $485,879 $149,920 $1,816 0.0132
2 Franklin 87,133 2.2% $922,855 $119,528 $1,923 0.0111
3 Signal Mountain 8,860 2.4% $623,274 $141,008 $1,852 0.0053
4 Brentwood 45,556 2.6% $1,393,273 $182,088 $2,825 0.0078
5 Medina 5,407 3.3% $320,514 $107,807 $1,206 0.0043
6 Nolensville 15,074 2.4% $836,735 $177,148 $2,454 0.0027
7 Spring Hill 55,765 2.1% $523,264 $112,013 $1,844 0.0071
8 Collierville 51,515 4.0% $509,893 $138,598 $1,691 0.0141
9 Collegedale 11,330 1.6% $418,364 $70,246 $1,581 0.0086
10 Maryville 32,392 3.0% $390,045 $81,963 $1,157 0.0064
11 Hendersonville 63,091 4.3% $521,094 $97,200 $1,653 0.0085
12 Farragut 24,634 2.3% $688,600 $142,093 $1,966 0.0356
13 Mount Juliet 42,073 3.8% $562,744 $107,068 $2,011 0.0118
14 Bartlett 56,876 3.4% $321,266 $102,070 $1,638 0.0150
15 Greenbrier 6,971 1.8% $382,696 $85,174 $1,212 0.0062
16 Jonesborough 6,232 1.7% $334,164 $74,015 $1,129 0.0159
17 Oakland 9,979 3.3% $353,491 $97,798 $1,992 0.0064
18 Red Bank 12,010 3.8% $307,145 $63,983 $1,283 0.0158
19 Thompson’s Station 8,294 6.4% $815,216 $132,647 $2,088 0.0111
20 Pleasant View 5,276 6.4% $416,777 $109,213 $1,802 0.0036
21 Fairview 10,009 3.3% $560,109 $91,131 $1,301 0.0062
22 Goodlettsville 17,597 6.1% $389,925 $70,758 $1,385 0.0101
23 Gallatin 48,532 3.1% $435,263 $77,518 $1,395 0.0103
24 White House 14,631 2.9% $388,292 $90,019 $1,426 0.0107
25 Murfreesboro 161,445 4.3% $426,291 $80,108 $1,481 0.0256
26 Atoka 10,385 4.5% $350,767 $89,663 $1,237 0.0072
27 Kingston 6,224 8.1% $329,855 $71,675 $716 0.0043
28 Erwin 5,988 3.2% $223,110 $47,487 $614 0.0081
29 Church Hill 7,139 13.9% $261,208 $65,526 $1,019 0.0031
30 Lakeland 14,192 2.8% $445,695 $116,250 $1,755 0.0931
31 Clinton 10,239 1.4% $332,660 $68,882 $962 0.0265
32 Oak Ridge 32,693 3.8% $322,989 $72,311 $1,131 0.0163
33 Soddy-Daisy 13,231 6.0% $359,449 $75,113 $1,047 0.0076
34 Lebanon 44,788 2.4% $443,605 $72,848 $1,306 0.0159
35 Arlington 15,205 3.4% $409,249 $135,105 $2,164 0.0931
36 Millersville 5,836 5.4% $360,650 $71,789 $1,475 0.0075
37 Tullahoma 21,103 3.2% $293,828 $60,979 $886 0.0207
38 Clarksville 176,456 5.5% $318,205 $69,303 $1,307 0.0215
39 Smyrna 56,692 5.0% $403,723 $81,926 $1,461 0.0276
40 Winchester 9,799 4.4% $359,609 $62,782 $974 0.0308
41 Munford 6,588 7.9% $287,684 $89,531 $1,176 0.0112
42 Sweetwater 6,532 2.7% $256,822 $45,451 $619 0.0176
43 Elizabethton 14,374 5.5% $229,441 $46,975 $740 0.0169
44 Portland 13,449 4.9% $332,793 $72,647 $1,141 0.0085
45 Columbia 45,441 2.6% $374,475 $63,719 $1,197 0.0333
46 Knoxville 195,185 4.5% $369,216 $54,039 $1,191 0.0356
47 Alcoa 12,222 2.0% $314,717 $65,714 $1,282 0.0204
48 La Vergne 40,243 2.2% $346,621 $81,313 $1,805 0.0229
49 Cookeville 36,088 3.8% $320,761 $51,375 $917 0.0202
50 Greeneville 15,646 8.4% $248,040 $49,889 $650 0.0219
51 East Ridge 22,070 5.3% $257,872 $62,247 $1,147 0.0239
52 Bristol 27,636 6.8% $234,603 $58,162 $842 0.0236
53 Cleveland 48,829 6.0% $311,237 $58,559 $1,034 0.0288
54 Henderson 6,411 3.3% $177,751 $45,938 $781 0.0078
55 Dickson 16,424 4.8% $344,966 $69,678 $1,063 0.0289
56 Dayton 7,625 1.3% $264,804 $49,719 $848 0.0164
57 Paris 10,338 2.2% $213,853 $41,012 $780 0.0186
58 Kingsport 56,262 4.9% $254,341 $52,490 $907 0.0345
59 Martin 10,915 6.4% $214,360 $43,381 $859 0.0140
60 Chattanooga 185,783 5.4% $319,578 $64,523 $1,256 0.0485
61 McKenzie 5,631 4.0% $189,717 $37,236 $663 0.0099
62 Humboldt 7,787 6.1% $155,460 $52,917 $742 0.0221
63 Mount Carmel 5,472 7.4% $262,491 $68,866 $643 0.0345
64 Manchester 12,944 2.2% $325,769 $57,500 $978 0.0328
65 Springfield 19,255 4.7% $331,463 $59,465 $1,139 0.0134
66 Athens 14,471 6.2% $260,344 $53,929 $846 0.0443
67 Millington 11,289 4.7% $238,392 $49,979 $1,111 0.0460
68 Jackson 68,435 8.1% $227,077 $53,032 $1,145 0.0410
69 Lawrenceburg 11,844 7.8% $240,471 $42,343 $775 0.0184
70 Sevierville 18,397 4.4% $417,023 $52,421 $1,081 0.0355
71 Pulaski 8,285 7.2% $250,196 $48,538 $835 0.0281
72 Shelbyville 24,661 3.8% $313,350 $55,073 $1,056 0.0244
73 Lafayette 5,727 5.4% $269,410 $51,736 $896 0.0190
74 Smithville 5,288 7.4% $285,424 $33,192 $740 0.0172
75 Newport 6,881 0.6% $227,026 $31,250 $720 0.0509
76 Lewisburg 12,861 5.5% $299,243 $48,341 $872 0.0276
77 Dyersburg 15,979 7.4% $165,486 $52,064 $782 0.0599
78 Crossville 12,428 7.2% $304,996 $48,802 $815 0.0334
79 Pigeon Forge 6,375 3.5% $423,693 $53,261 $1,053 0.0394
80 La Follette 7,273 7.5% $161,646 $37,581 $696 0.0118
81 Fayetteville 7,057 5.7% $254,902 $49,223 $779 0.0282
82 McMinnville 13,844 9.0% $255,402 $47,179 $791 0.0230
83 Madisonville 5,241 6.8% $286,953 $39,878 $726 0.0265
84 Lexington 7,962 8.3% $216,845 $49,057 $720 0.0241
85 Milan 8,244 6.4% $181,685 $43,886 $805 0.0258
86 Morristown 31,527 7.1% $266,072 $47,917 $882 0.0335
87 Memphis 618,980 8.3% $144,710 $51,736 $1,181 0.0931
88 Covington 8,587 8.8% $208,118 $42,254 $933 0.0362
89 Dunlap 5,678 12.2% $273,218 $45,589 $868 0.0127
90 Savannah 7,412 4.5% $196,053 $39,712 $758 0.0317
91 Rockwood 5,566 10.5% $230,191 $47,791 $774 0.0271
92 Brownsville 9,622 8.6% $163,990 $43,494 $767 0.0341
93 Harriman 6,090 4.3% $239,088 $44,653 $763 0.0417
94 Bolivar 5,144 13.2% $147,014 $39,028 $808 0.0373
95 Ripley 7,658 8.2% $140,000 $37,432 $800 0.0385

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About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.