Where are the best places in the state of Tennessee?
To the untrained eye they are the places that have awesome economies. They’re the places in Volunteer State where people have the best jobs, residents are all above average, and the sun shines the most.
However, here at HomeSnacks, we don’t trust the untrained eye and instead look to data to understand the best places to call home in Tennessee.
There might be some surprises on this list, but when you look at the unbiased data, it’s hard to argue against.
After analyzing 91 places in Tennessee, we came up with this list of the best places.
Here are the 10 best places to live in Tennessee for 2019:
- Germantown (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Brentwood (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Signal Mountain (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Collierville (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Spring Hill (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Franklin (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Collegedale (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Nolensville (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Bartlett (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Mount Juliet (Photos | Homes For Sale)
Well, it looks like you should check out Germantown if you’re thinking of moving to Tennessee — it’s the best the Volunteer State has to offer according to the data.
Follow along as we provide more insight into how we reached our overall best places to live in Tennessee.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the best states in America or the best places to live in America.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Tennessee
- 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Tennessee
Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Tennessee
The Pressing Question: Size
Before we even started to collect data, 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 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 left us with 91 cities, 175 towns, and 136 small towns.
We then decided, no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best places have more of everything and therefore you need to have over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best’.
Now we also realize that city living might not be your cup of tea, so we ran the following analysis on towns and then again for small towns.
You can see those two top tens at the bottom of the post.
How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Tennessee
Now that we had our set of cities, it was time to rank them.
We ranked each place in Tennessee across a number of criteria from one to 91, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the city posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Place To Live In Tennessee”.
The criteria we looked at were:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher better)
- Unemployment Rate
- Commute Time
- Crime
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty rates
Sources of criteria include the New Census Data and FBI Crime Data.
After the dust settled, what was the best place to live in Tennessee? That would be Germantown.
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 10 Best Places To Live In Tennessee For 2019
/10
Population: 39,213
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $296,300 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (8th best)
More on Germantown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Germantown’s unemployment rates are some of the lowest in the state and the median income is the 5th highest, making Germantown a great place to work and settle down if you’re look for a stable job with a stable income.
Additionally, Germantown has above average education and low crime, making this place a safe place to live.
/10
Population: 40,873
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $555,800 (1st best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (2nd best)
More on Brentwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Brentwood has a really low crime rate (4th lowest) and only 2.8% of the people are unemployed. Additionally, residents here have high paying jobs ($148,340). And that goes a long way.
The population is growing at a steady clip, and the cost of living is lower than it should be. So people have an extra incentive to live in Brentwood.
/10
Population: 8,500
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $325,900 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (14th best)
More on Signal Mountain: Real Estate | Data | Photos
The Town of Signal Mountain might be a bit of a surprise to some in terms of how well it ranks according to science.
The crime rate in Signal Mountain isn’t amazing, but it’s far below the state average. The homes are valued at $325,900 here, and the schools get some of the most funding in Tennessee.
If Signal Mountain can get some more of their residents to work, things will look even rosier here. The unemployment rate (4.3% is the 14th highest in the state.
/10
Population: 48,005
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $278,600 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (10th best)
More on Collierville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Things can’t get much better than in the town of Collierville. The crime is the 15th lowest in the entire state, and the residents who live in Collierville make huge salaries, and almost all of them have great jobs.
The median home costs a cool $278,600 and households make $110,591 which is good for 2nd in Tennessee.
/10
Population: 34,364
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $225,800 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on Spring Hill: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Spring Hill is by far one of the best places to live in Tennessee: the math proves it! This city has the 6th lowest unemployment rate and the 12th highest median income in all of Tennessee.
Plus, the median home values are the 9th highest in the state. And if all of that isn’t enough to convince you, then check this out: their crime rate is the 6th lowest in the state, making Spring Hill a safe and great place to live.
/10
Population: 70,625
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $342,900 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (13th best)
More on Franklin: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Franklin has a long and illustrious history and its ranking in the top ten of our best places to live is just another notch in its belt.\n\Franklin had the 9th highest household median income adjusted for cost of living at $88,961.
Not to mention that its residents have plenty to do on the weekends.




I live in Franklin and you make us out to look like inbred hicks who can’t read. Were nice people and Tennessee is a really pretty state so please don’t bash us
/10
Population: 10,438
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $194,400 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (10th best)
More on Collegedale: Real Estate | Data | Photos
It’s obvious why Collegedale ranks 7th in the state for best places to live: they have the 10th lowest unemployment rate and the 13th highest home values.
Plus, they’re known for their quality education and relatively low crime, making Collegedale a great place to live.
/10
Population: 6,724
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Median Home Value: $341,400 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (4th best)
More on Nolensville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Nolensville is another great city in Tennessee with a low unemployment rate and where residents earn high salaries.
Said one reviewer on City-Data.com: ” We feel incredibly safe in Nolensville. The houses and neighborhoods are beautiful, the people are friendly, and it’s wonderful to have such good neighbors. People watch out for each other here, they teach their children to be respectful of others and things.”
Enough said.
/10
Population: 58,318
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $171,300 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (17th best)
More on Bartlett: Real Estate | Data | Photos
You might be surprised to see the Town of Bartlett so high on the list. Unless you live in Bartlett.
The unemployment rate here is really low, and at 4.5%, Bartlett residents are some of the hardest working in the state of Tennessee. When you factor in high home prices, high incomes and low crime, Bartlett is doing quite well.
Let’s be honest — Bartlett is the kind of place you brag to your friends on Facebook about.
/10
Population: 29,853
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $223,800 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (12th best)
More on Mount Juliet: Real Estate | Data | Photos
When you’re looking at the best places you could live in Tennessee, Mount Juliet came in 10th. Let’s see why.
It has a low unemployment rate and high incomes.
Plus, Mount Juliet has an impressive history for a place of just over 29,853 people. The median home costs a cool $223,800 and households make $77,965 which is good for 13th in Tennessee.
Wrapping Up The Best Places When It Comes To Living 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.
Germantown made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Tennessee for 2019.
Best Towns To Live In Tennessee
- Lookout Mountain (Pop. 1,930)
- Belle Meade (Pop. 2,704)
- Oak Hill (Pop. 4,686)
- Sewanee (Pop. 2,503)
- Forest Hills (Pop. 4,999)
- Gray (Pop. 1,806)
- Medina (Pop. 4,025)
- Shackle Island (Pop. 3,290)
- Walden (Pop. 1,907)
- Lakesite (Pop. 1,911)
Best Small Towns To Live In Tennessee
- Ridgeside (Pop. 671)
- Rockvale (Pop. 822)
- Bell Buckle (Pop. 401)
- Walterhill (Pop. 355)
- Rockford (Pop. 788)
- Berry Hill (Pop. 793)
- Baneberry (Pop. 487)
- Garland (Pop. 343)
- Oak Grove CDP (Sumner (Pop. 215)
- Gibson (Pop. 316)
If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Tennessee according to the data:
- La Follette (Pop. 7,131)
- Savannah (Pop. 7,043)
- Ripley (Pop. 8,249)
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Tennessee
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Tennessee
- 10 Safest Places In Tennessee
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Tennessee
Detailed List Of The Best Places To Live In Tennessee
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Germantown | 39,213 |
2 | Brentwood | 40,873 |
3 | Signal Mountain | 8,500 |
4 | Collierville | 48,005 |
5 | Spring Hill | 34,364 |
6 | Franklin | 70,625 |
7 | Collegedale | 10,438 |
8 | Nolensville | 6,724 |
9 | Bartlett | 58,318 |
10 | Mount Juliet | 29,853 |
11 | Hendersonville | 55,073 |
12 | Maryville | 28,151 |
13 | Farragut | 21,690 |
14 | White House | 10,944 |
15 | Atoka | 8,917 |
16 | Oakland | 7,270 |
17 | Kingston | 5,841 |
18 | Jonesborough | 5,234 |
19 | Mount Carmel | 5,425 |
20 | Gallatin | 33,426 |
21 | Murfreesboro | 122,007 |
22 | Goodlettsville | 16,848 |
23 | Smyrna | 45,369 |
24 | Clarksville | 146,281 |
25 | Arlington | 11,599 |
26 | Church Hill | 6,723 |
27 | Munford | 6,025 |
28 | Greenbrier | 6,684 |
29 | Fairview | 8,271 |
30 | Lakeland | 12,541 |
31 | Millersville | 6,602 |
32 | Clinton | 9,993 |
33 | East Ridge | 21,311 |
34 | Red Bank | 11,794 |
35 | Oak Ridge | 29,285 |
36 | Kingsport | 52,871 |
37 | Tullahoma | 19,185 |
38 | La Vergne | 34,451 |
39 | Jackson | 67,162 |
40 | Martin | 10,989 |
41 | Lebanon | 29,439 |
42 | Soddy-Daisy | 13,162 |
43 | Portland | 12,125 |
44 | Chattanooga | 175,462 |
45 | Elizabethton | 14,012 |
46 | Knoxville | 183,927 |
47 | Greeneville | 15,035 |
48 | Bristol | 26,734 |
49 | Manchester | 10,387 |
50 | Erwin | 5,998 |
51 | Loudon | 5,701 |
52 | Springfield | 16,650 |
53 | Dickson | 15,098 |
54 | Humboldt | 8,254 |
55 | Winchester | 8,504 |
56 | Alcoa | 9,058 |
57 | Cleveland | 43,276 |
58 | Pigeon Forge | 6,092 |
59 | Pulaski | 7,728 |
60 | Millington | 11,069 |
61 | Cookeville | 32,256 |
62 | Columbia | 36,130 |
63 | Mckenzie | 5,650 |
64 | Dayton | 7,308 |
65 | Milan | 7,803 |
66 | Dunlap | 5,065 |
67 | Sevierville | 16,213 |
68 | Henderson | 6,491 |
69 | Lexington | 7,796 |
70 | Paris | 10,168 |
71 | Dyersburg | 16,867 |
72 | Morristown | 29,395 |
73 | Athens | 13,651 |
74 | Shelbyville | 20,916 |
75 | Sparta | 5,063 |
76 | Mcminnville | 13,664 |
77 | Brownsville | 9,938 |
78 | Covington | 9,016 |
79 | Crossville | 11,308 |
80 | Memphis | 655,857 |
81 | Bolivar | 5,154 |
82 | Lewisburg | 11,376 |
83 | Rockwood | 5,443 |
84 | Sweetwater | 5,877 |
85 | Newport | 6,856 |
86 | Lawrenceburg | 10,573 |
87 | Fayetteville | 7,033 |
88 | Harriman | 6,223 |
89 | La Follette | 7,131 |
90 | Savannah | 7,043 |
91 | Ripley | 8,249 |