Now that you’ve hung up your office attire for the last time let’s find a great place to retire in the Volunteer State. We’ve done the research to determine where the hottest spots for retirement are in Tennesee.
To find these gems, we looked at cities in Tennessee with a population of at least 10,000 people, leaving us with 55 cities. We considered data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights. We found the cities with the best safety, affordability, weather, and access to things to do.
Whatever your priorities are for retirement, we’re sure Tennessee has what you need. If you’re a diehard country music fan, you couldn’t retire in a better place than Tennessee. Whether you’re just visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame or Elvis’s Graceland, you’ll never run short of places to go to get your country music fix.
Maybe, for you, retirement is a time to chill out in nature. In that case, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a place you’ll want to frequent.
Crank up the Dolly Parton, grab a plate of Southern comfort food, and turn off that alarm clock forever because we’re going to the best places to retire in Tennessee.
$775 median rent · $42,343 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Lawrence County, TennesseeLawrenceburg is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, Lawrenceburg is the largest city on the state line between Chattanooga and Memphis. It sets on the banks of Shoal Creek. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city’s population was 10,428 in 2010, with an estimate of over 14,736 as of the end of 2016. Lawrenceburg is the county seat of Lawrence County. The city is named after War of 1812 American Navy officer James Lawrence.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$650 median rent · $49,889 median income · #1 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Greene County, TennesseeGreeneville is a town in, and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 15,062. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there are numerous U.S. towns named Greenville. The town was the capital of the short-lived State of Franklin in the 18th-century history of the Tennessee region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$740 median rent · $46,975 median income · #2 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Carter County, TennesseeElizabethton is a city in, and the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is the historical site of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original Thirteen Colonies.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$780 median rent · $41,012 median income · #4 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Henry County, TennesseeParis is a city in Henry County, Tennessee, 86 miles northwest of Nashville, on a fork of the West Sandy River and the Tennessee River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 10,156. It is the county seat of Henry County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$2,825 median rent · $182,088 median income · #55 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Williamson County, TennesseeBrentwood is a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee; located in Williamson County, it is known for its rolling hills as well as being one of the wealthiest cities in America relative to average cost of living. The population was 37,060 as of the 2010 U.S. Census, and estimated at 40,982 in 2014.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$886 median rent · $60,979 median income · #13 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Franklin County, TennesseeTullahoma is a city in Coffee and Franklin counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 18,655 at the 2010 census. In 2014 the population was estimated to be 18,899. It is the principal city of the Tullahoma micropolitan area, which consists of Coffee, Franklin, and Moore counties and is the second largest micropolitan area in Tennessee.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,816 median rent · $149,920 median income · #50 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Shelby County, TennesseeGermantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,844 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$962 median rent · $68,882 median income · #16 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Anderson County, TennesseeClinton is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 9,841 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Anderson County. Clinton is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$815 median rent · $48,802 median income · #7 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Cumberland County, TennesseeCrossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Crossville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,795 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,047 median rent · $75,113 median income · #19 cheapest rent in Tennessee
Located in
Hamilton County, TennesseeSoddy-Daisy is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 11,530 at the 2000 census and 12,714 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1969 when the communities of Soddy and Daisy, along with nearby developed areas along U.S. Highway 27, merged to form Soddy-Daisy. It is rapidly becoming a bedroom community of nearby Chattanooga and is part of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area. Sequoyah Nuclear Generating Station is located in Soddy-Daisy.
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
On the map
Where to retire in Tennessee
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Volunteer State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Tennessee to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Volunteer State — 427 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 55 places from across the state.
For these 55, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 55, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Lawrenceburg, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Tennessee.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Tennessee
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrenceburg | 15.20 | 11,844 | $42,343 | $240,472 | $775 |
| 2 | Greeneville | 17.30 | 15,646 | $49,889 | $248,040 | $650 |
| 3 | Elizabethton | 18.60 | 14,374 | $46,975 | $229,442 | $740 |
| 4 | Paris | 19.10 | 10,338 | $41,012 | $213,854 | $780 |
| 5 | Brentwood | 19.30 | 45,556 | $182,088 | $1,393,273 | $2,825 |
| 6 | Tullahoma | 20.00 | 21,103 | $60,979 | $293,828 | $886 |
| 7 | Germantown | 21.40 | 40,673 | $149,920 | $485,879 | $1,816 |
| 8 | Clinton | 22.80 | 10,239 | $68,882 | $332,661 | $962 |
| 9 | Crossville | 23.00 | 12,428 | $48,802 | $304,997 | $815 |
| 10 | Soddy-Daisy | 23.20 | 13,231 | $75,113 | $359,449 | $1,047 |
| 11 | Maryville | 23.60 | 32,392 | $81,963 | $390,045 | $1,157 |
| 12 | Hendersonville | 23.70 | 63,091 | $97,200 | $521,094 | $1,653 |
| 13 | Dyersburg | 24.00 | 15,979 | $52,064 | $165,487 | $782 |
| 14 | Morristown | 24.40 | 31,527 | $47,917 | $266,073 | $882 |
| 15 | Franklin | 24.70 | 87,133 | $119,528 | $922,855 | $1,923 |
| 16 | Dickson | 24.70 | 16,424 | $69,678 | $344,966 | $1,063 |
| 17 | Gallatin | 25.00 | 48,532 | $77,518 | $435,264 | $1,395 |
| 18 | Springfield | 25.00 | 19,255 | $59,465 | $331,464 | $1,139 |
| 19 | Martin | 25.00 | 10,915 | $43,381 | $214,361 | $859 |
| 20 | Portland | 25.50 | 13,449 | $72,647 | $332,794 | $1,141 |
| 21 | Atoka | 25.90 | 10,385 | $89,663 | $350,767 | $1,237 |
| 22 | Lewisburg | 26.00 | 12,861 | $48,341 | $299,243 | $872 |
| 23 | Goodlettsville | 26.80 | 17,597 | $70,758 | $389,925 | $1,385 |
| 24 | Collierville | 26.90 | 51,515 | $138,598 | $509,893 | $1,691 |
| 25 | Athens | 27.10 | 14,471 | $53,929 | $260,344 | $846 |
| 26 | McMinnville | 27.20 | 13,844 | $47,179 | $255,402 | $791 |
| 27 | Bartlett | 27.40 | 56,876 | $102,070 | $321,267 | $1,638 |
| 28 | Oak Ridge | 27.70 | 32,693 | $72,311 | $322,990 | $1,131 |
| 29 | Nolensville | 27.90 | 15,074 | $177,148 | $836,736 | $2,454 |
| 30 | Bristol | 28.00 | 27,636 | $58,162 | $234,603 | $842 |
| 31 | Collegedale | 28.00 | 11,330 | $70,246 | $418,364 | $1,581 |
| 32 | Mount Juliet | 28.40 | 42,073 | $107,068 | $562,745 | $2,011 |
| 33 | Sevierville | 28.40 | 18,397 | $52,421 | $417,023 | $1,081 |
| 34 | Cookeville | 28.50 | 36,088 | $51,375 | $320,762 | $917 |
| 35 | Lebanon | 28.60 | 44,788 | $72,848 | $443,605 | $1,306 |
| 36 | Kingsport | 29.80 | 56,262 | $52,490 | $254,341 | $907 |
| 37 | Spring Hill | 30.40 | 55,765 | $112,013 | $523,264 | $1,844 |
| 38 | White House | 30.40 | 14,631 | $90,019 | $388,293 | $1,426 |
| 39 | Millington | 30.50 | 11,289 | $49,979 | $238,393 | $1,111 |
| 40 | Columbia | 31.10 | 45,441 | $63,719 | $374,476 | $1,197 |
| 41 | Cleveland | 31.50 | 48,829 | $58,559 | $311,237 | $1,034 |
| 42 | Fairview | 31.70 | 10,009 | $91,131 | $560,109 | $1,301 |
| 43 | Shelbyville | 33.00 | 24,661 | $55,073 | $313,350 | $1,056 |
| 44 | Manchester | 33.20 | 12,944 | $57,500 | $325,769 | $978 |
| 45 | Jackson | 33.40 | 68,435 | $53,032 | $227,078 | $1,145 |
| 46 | East Ridge | 34.40 | 22,070 | $62,247 | $257,872 | $1,147 |
| 47 | La Vergne | 34.60 | 40,243 | $81,313 | $346,622 | $1,805 |
| 48 | Memphis | 34.80 | 618,980 | $51,736 | $144,710 | $1,181 |
| 49 | Red Bank | 34.80 | 12,010 | $63,983 | $307,145 | $1,283 |
| 50 | Chattanooga | 36.90 | 185,783 | $64,523 | $319,579 | $1,256 |
| 51 | Murfreesboro | 36.90 | 161,445 | $80,108 | $426,292 | $1,481 |
| 52 | Smyrna | 37.40 | 56,692 | $81,926 | $403,723 | $1,461 |
| 53 | Clarksville | 37.80 | 176,456 | $69,303 | $318,206 | $1,307 |
| 54 | Knoxville | 38.30 | 195,185 | $54,039 | $369,216 | $1,191 |
| 55 | Alcoa | 40.80 | 12,222 | $65,714 | $314,718 | $1,282 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 55 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Tennessee Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Tennessee goes to Lawrenceburg.
The best places to retire in Tennessee are Lawrenceburg, Greeneville, Elizabethton, Paris, Brentwood, Tullahoma, Germantown, Clinton, Crossville, and Soddy-Daisy.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on Tennessee? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In Tennessee FAQs
What is the best place to retire in Tennessee?
Lawrenceburg is the best place to retire in Tennessee for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Greeneville and Elizabethton are next.
What are the best places to retire in Tennessee?
The best places to retire in Tennessee are Lawrenceburg, Greeneville, Elizabethton, Paris, Brentwood, Tullahoma, Germantown, Clinton, Crossville, and Soddy-Daisy. We ranked all 55 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying Tennessee city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Lawrenceburg, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Lawrenceburg?
The median home in Lawrenceburg runs $240,472, against $333,651 across Tennessee as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $299,412.
Which Tennessee place came in last for retirees?
Alcoa lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for Tennessee. Not ready to retire anyway? Then Alcoa might suit you fine.
