You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Tennessee. Best suburbs in Tennessee. Best counties in Tennessee.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Volunteer State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Tennessee based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Tennessee ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$250,001 median income · 0.3% unemployment
$201,000 median income · 0.4% unemployment
$215,530 median income · 1.7% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 0.3% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$136,111 median income · 1.0% unemployment
$137,317 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$69,947 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$96,250 median income · 3.5% unemployment
$80,148 median income · 4.5% unemployment
$111,842 median income · 1.5% unemployment
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
Where Tennessee’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Tennessee
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Tennessee possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 176 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 176, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Tennessee. Top of that list — Belle Meade.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Tennessee.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Tennessee
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle Meade | 2,708 | $250,001 | $2,327,528 | 0.3% |
| 2 | Lookout Mountain | 2,111 | $201,000 | $1,027,442 | 0.4% |
| 3 | Oak Hill | 4,617 | $215,530 | $1,396,051 | 1.7% |
| 4 | Forest Hills | 4,683 | $250,001 | $1,644,514 | 0.3% |
| 5 | Sewanee | 2,936 | $136,111 | $423,248 | 1.0% |
| 6 | Fairmount | 2,110 | $137,317 | $540,568 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Gray | 2,237 | $69,947 | $306,481 | 0.0% |
| 8 | Lakesite | 2,168 | $96,250 | $396,041 | 3.5% |
| 9 | Colonial Heights | 3,258 | $80,148 | $252,653 | 4.5% |
| 10 | Falling Water | 2,315 | $111,842 | $489,479 | 1.5% |
| 11 | Berry Hill | 1,980 | $79,591 | $706,404 | 3.1% |
| 12 | Norris | 1,485 | $75,515 | $486,179 | 0.2% |
| 13 | Ridgetop | 1,995 | $85,063 | $395,816 | 6.6% |
| 14 | Walden | 1,845 | $124,493 | $681,510 | 4.1% |
| 15 | Kingston Springs | 2,791 | $103,250 | $476,980 | 3.0% |
| 16 | Carthage | 2,327 | $67,006 | $275,398 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Tusculum | 3,337 | $70,694 | $318,487 | 3.3% |
| 18 | Apison | 4,271 | $129,307 | $534,167 | 1.0% |
| 19 | New Market | 1,619 | $72,321 | $318,088 | 3.4% |
| 20 | Pegram | 2,089 | $111,172 | $443,963 | 3.6% |
| 21 | Blountville | 3,309 | $54,754 | $312,051 | 3.2% |
| 22 | Watertown | 1,463 | $68,148 | $422,524 | 5.5% |
| 23 | Burns | 1,884 | $69,167 | $448,994 | 0.8% |
| 24 | Jacksboro | 2,650 | $68,750 | $288,086 | 3.8% |
| 25 | Three Way | 2,008 | $88,125 | $283,634 | 7.0% |
| 26 | Park City | 2,813 | $95,417 | $252,188 | 2.6% |
| 27 | New Union | 2,160 | $81,367 | $363,211 | 2.1% |
| 28 | Coope | 4,640 | $118,241 | $490,526 | 0.3% |
| 29 | Rossville | 1,142 | $120,357 | $541,239 | 6.1% |
| 30 | Lake Tansi | 4,437 | $57,991 | $326,901 | 2.0% |
| 31 | Mowbray Mountain | 1,721 | $93,293 | $454,333 | 1.2% |
| 32 | Newbern | 3,289 | $58,455 | $194,373 | 3.0% |
| 33 | Gordonsville | 1,299 | $57,688 | $315,805 | 0.7% |
| 34 | Hopewell | 2,634 | $87,842 | $355,646 | 3.3% |
| 35 | White Pine | 2,565 | $55,313 | $254,735 | 4.1% |
| 36 | Shackle Island | 4,404 | $130,125 | $628,898 | 7.2% |
| 37 | Chapel Hill | 1,712 | $75,441 | $391,612 | 2.0% |
| 38 | Harrogate | 4,368 | $65,586 | $234,028 | 5.8% |
| 39 | Piperton | 2,569 | $130,100 | $676,624 | 3.5% |
| 40 | Spurgeon | 4,071 | $64,250 | $255,213 | 2.2% |
| 41 | Unionville | 1,275 | $70,541 | $360,047 | 0.0% |
| 42 | Algood | 4,036 | $42,359 | $279,881 | 0.7% |
| 43 | Troy | 1,827 | $51,711 | $172,560 | 2.2% |
| 44 | Flat Top Mountain | 1,004 | $121,131 | $690,228 | 0.0% |
| 45 | Coalfield | 2,754 | $90,104 | $221,348 | 0.0% |
| 46 | Dover | 1,956 | $75,190 | $247,236 | 2.2% |
| 47 | Louisville | 4,383 | $89,744 | $464,912 | 5.1% |
| 48 | Fall Branch | 1,160 | $50,208 | $288,938 | 0.0% |
| 49 | Rural Hill | 2,075 | $108,250 | $533,818 | 8.6% |
| 50 | Loretto | 1,731 | $55,592 | $241,762 | 0.3% |
| 51 | Walnut Hill | 2,415 | $51,742 | $255,912 | 3.5% |
| 52 | Kimball | 1,639 | $60,543 | $278,999 | 1.0% |
| 53 | Jasper | 3,612 | $73,013 | $253,036 | 3.0% |
| 54 | New Johnsonville | 2,060 | $78,661 | $223,577 | 3.6% |
| 55 | Estill Springs | 2,695 | $59,205 | $313,139 | 3.9% |
| 56 | Gatlinburg | 3,663 | $53,475 | $410,249 | 3.6% |
| 57 | Sharon | 1,036 | $33,906 | $156,966 | 2.0% |
| 58 | Surgoinsville | 1,911 | $53,854 | $230,454 | 1.5% |
| 59 | New Tazewell | 2,799 | $53,567 | $239,010 | 3.2% |
| 60 | Orlinda | 1,214 | $84,250 | $365,639 | 3.1% |
| 61 | Huntingdon | 4,441 | $51,969 | $193,981 | 0.6% |
| 62 | Baxter | 1,361 | $58,750 | $303,049 | 0.8% |
| 63 | Cross Plains | 1,922 | $76,319 | $414,324 | 4.6% |
| 64 | Vonore | 2,191 | $58,317 | $466,106 | 0.3% |
| 65 | Dresden | 2,943 | $51,000 | $180,720 | 6.3% |
| 66 | Westmoreland | 2,845 | $59,405 | $289,444 | 3.4% |
| 67 | Sparta | 4,939 | $50,080 | $282,101 | 7.8% |
| 68 | Greenfield | 2,264 | $47,368 | $153,977 | 2.4% |
| 69 | Livingston | 3,999 | $39,567 | $242,142 | 0.2% |
| 70 | Bluff City | 2,225 | $61,059 | $268,102 | 6.8% |
| 71 | Huntland | 1,532 | $66,308 | $229,370 | 1.2% |
| 72 | Lyles | 1,385 | $68,036 | $261,607 | 0.0% |
| 73 | Sale Creek | 2,955 | $53,932 | $304,648 | 2.9% |
| 74 | Monterey | 2,768 | $45,922 | $293,569 | 2.2% |
| 75 | Bean Station | 3,016 | $44,785 | $267,602 | 0.8% |
| 76 | Etowah | 3,658 | $39,291 | $214,634 | 11.1% |
| 77 | Wildwood Lake | 3,495 | $62,722 | $269,644 | 2.3% |
| 78 | Brighton | 2,889 | $80,882 | $271,746 | 7.7% |
| 79 | Alamo | 2,311 | $54,063 | $182,405 | 1.0% |
| 80 | Charlotte | 2,164 | $58,750 | $345,351 | 7.0% |
| 81 | Somerville | 3,466 | $44,310 | $296,915 | 1.9% |
| 82 | Blaine | 3,213 | $77,092 | $332,733 | 8.0% |
| 83 | Bradford | 1,385 | $47,361 | $169,265 | 0.0% |
| 84 | Dyer | 2,217 | $54,766 | $151,219 | 2.5% |
| 85 | Hunter | 1,918 | $51,815 | $197,258 | 4.1% |
| 86 | Woodbury | 2,774 | $58,466 | $318,499 | 4.0% |
| 87 | Tennessee Ridge | 1,726 | $74,271 | $223,988 | 4.0% |
| 88 | Camden | 3,678 | $55,029 | $190,726 | 4.4% |
| 89 | Greenback | 1,378 | $72,961 | $439,260 | 4.1% |
| 90 | Monteagle | 1,926 | $63,438 | $328,469 | 10.2% |
| 91 | Pine Crest | 2,029 | $53,537 | $228,796 | 14.6% |
| 92 | Allardt | 1,076 | $70,114 | $254,508 | 14.6% |
| 93 | Powells Crossroads | 1,498 | $67,549 | $236,488 | 3.1% |
| 94 | Bells | 2,373 | $56,027 | $206,525 | 2.7% |
| 95 | Central | 1,938 | $37,444 | $176,659 | 5.1% |
| 96 | Rutherford | 1,119 | $50,667 | $140,335 | 3.3% |
| 97 | Oliver Springs | 3,281 | $51,183 | $247,169 | 4.6% |
| 98 | White Bluff | 4,080 | $69,483 | $342,700 | 4.8% |
| 99 | Centerville | 3,535 | $59,167 | $246,949 | 1.5% |
| 100 | South Fulton | 2,379 | $43,942 | $153,870 | 3.2% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 176 Tennessee towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Tennessee are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Tennessee are Belle Meade, Lookout Mountain, Oak Hill, Forest Hills, Sewanee, Fairmount, Gray, Lakesite, Colonial Heights, and Falling Water.
