The 10 Best Places To Live In Tennessee For 2024


The best places to live in Tennessee for 2024 are Germantown, Signal Mountain, and Brentwood. 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 94 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 2024 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 2024

Best Places To Live In Tennessee Map

Germantown, TN

Source: Public domain
Stat Germantown Tennessee
Population 41,094 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 1
Median Home Value $477,703 $309,795
Median Income $140,429 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 2.8% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0169 0.0315

More on Germantown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 $477,703 and your median household income needs to be somewhere in the area of $140,429/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.

Signal Mountain, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Sam Poss | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Signal Mountain Tennessee
Population 8,833 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 2
Median Home Value $537,026 $309,795
Median Income $132,639 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 1.7% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0032 0.0315

More on Signal Mountain: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

If you’re looking for a signal to move to Tennessee’s 2nd 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 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 $132,639/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 44,830 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 3
Median Home Value $1,231,379 $309,795
Median Income $181,576 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 2.2% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0093 0.0315

More on Brentwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Like a finely tuned guitar on a night of the Grand Ole Opry, Tennessee’s 3rd 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.

Collierville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User DoxTxob | GFDL
Stat Collierville Tennessee
Population 51,170 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 5
Median Home Value $496,528 $309,795
Median Income $129,729 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 2.6% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0134 0.0315

More on Collierville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 4th 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 16th 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 $129,729/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.

Franklin, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Franklin Tennessee
Population 83,630 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 4
Median Home Value $851,106 $309,795
Median Income $106,592 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 2.6% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0128 0.0315

More on Franklin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 5th best place to live in Tennessee. However, Franklin’s cost of living is on the higher end. This city is the 5th best for home prices at $851,106 and you’re going to have to make the median household income of $106,592/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 83,630 residents is also one of the safest. The crime rate here is 47% below the national average.

Nolensville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Skye Marthaler | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Nolensville Tennessee
Population 14,444 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 6
Median Home Value $772,828 $309,795
Median Income $158,266 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 0.7% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0049 0.0315

More on Nolensville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 3rd lowest unemployment rate at 0.7%. If you can afford the $772,828 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 51,319 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 7
Median Home Value $494,066 $309,795
Median Income $104,880 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 1.1% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0101 0.0315

More on Spring Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 $104,880/year and the poverty rate the 8th lowest in the state. Heck, we shouldn’t be too surprised considering the unemployment rate here is 1.1%.

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 35. 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.

Maryville, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | CC BY 3.0
Stat Maryville Tennessee
Population 31,876 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 8
Median Home Value $356,939 $309,795
Median Income $74,610 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 2.8% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0110 0.0315

More on Maryville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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 8th 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 $74,610/year to afford the 25th 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 29th commute times; in fact, you can be in Knoxville in 25 minutes.

Mount Juliet, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Cadamwil | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Mount Juliet Tennessee
Population 39,525 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 10
Median Home Value $532,466 $309,795
Median Income $108,066 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 3.8% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0107 0.0315

More on Mount Juliet: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here’s the word on East Division street –, the grass is greener and money really does grow on trees in Tennessee’s 9th best place to live, Mount Juliet.

Well, if you look at it like this, Mount Juliet is the “City Between Lakes” and one of the only cities on our list located along Tennessee’s infamous Cumberland River, so we get it, it’s greener. Money trees? We’re not entirely sure, but the residents here make a nice household median income of $108,066/year. And if you want a job in Mount Juliet, you shouldn’t have a problem getting one: this city has the 35th lowest unemployment rate on our list.

If you’re not sure that you want to take the plunge into Mount Juliet’s real estate market out of the gate, as the median home price here is the one of the highest compared to its median income, a rental is a solid alternative.

With innumerable amounts of outdoor activities and a vibrant art and music scene at your disposal, you definitely won’t be bored in Mount Juliet.

Medina, TN

Source: Wikipedia User Brian Stansberry | CC BY 4.0
Stat Medina Tennessee
Population 5,121 6,923,772
Rank Last Year 0
Median Home Value $297,773 $309,795
Median Income $91,135 $64,035
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.0%
Crime Per Capita 0.0066 0.0315

More on Medina: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Medina, Tennessee, has a median home value of $297,773, indicating the demand for living in this Gibson County gem. The city’s 5,121 residents benefit from a strong 91,135 and a low 3.0 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.

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 94 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 94, 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 2024. This report is our tenth 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, Signal Mountain, Brentwood, Collierville, Franklin, Nolensville, Spring Hill, Maryville, Mount Juliet, and Medina.

Germantown made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Tennessee for 2024.

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

  1. Brownsville (Pop. 9,739)
  2. Ripley (Pop. 7,794)
  3. Bolivar (Pop. 5,197)

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 41,094 2.8% $477,703 $140,429 $1,700 0.0169
2 Signal Mountain 8,833 1.7% $537,026 $132,639 $1,670 0.0032
3 Brentwood 44,830 2.2% $1,231,379 $181,576 $2,459 0.0093
4 Collierville 51,170 2.6% $496,528 $129,729 $1,488 0.0134
5 Franklin 83,630 2.6% $851,106 $106,592 $1,785 0.0128
6 Nolensville 14,444 0.7% $772,828 $158,266 $2,714 0.0049
7 Spring Hill 51,319 1.1% $494,066 $104,880 $1,688 0.0101
8 Maryville 31,876 2.8% $356,939 $74,610 $1,070 0.0110
9 Mount Juliet 39,525 3.8% $532,466 $108,066 $1,774 0.0107
10 Medina 5,121 3.0% $297,773 $91,135 $980 0.0066
11 Hendersonville 61,589 4.2% $492,503 $86,954 $1,407 0.0099
12 Farragut 23,795 2.3% $639,373 $135,725 $1,525 0.0482
13 Jonesborough 5,891 0.3% $301,729 $68,802 $1,036 0.0161
14 Bartlett 57,481 3.8% $323,963 $94,603 $1,492 0.0217
15 Collegedale 11,001 2.7% $393,856 $69,942 $1,366 0.0178
16 Greenbrier 6,954 0.6% $363,695 $94,280 $1,083 0.0106
17 White House 13,305 2.5% $382,688 $85,404 $1,305 0.0171
18 Thompson’s Station 7,426 5.1% $737,448 $116,569 $2,116 0.0128
19 Oakland 9,139 3.2% $339,678 $86,433 $1,766 0.0036
20 Red Bank 11,919 3.4% $287,926 $59,027 $1,009 0.0121
21 Gallatin 44,947 3.2% $421,419 $68,548 $1,250 0.0101
22 Fairview 9,519 2.4% $471,482 $82,344 $1,150 0.0071
23 Murfreesboro 153,487 4.3% $400,303 $70,451 $1,272 0.0276
24 Kingston 5,987 7.3% $308,377 $67,637 $727 0.0084
25 Atoka 10,070 6.6% $333,000 $87,928 $1,308 0.0071
26 Goodlettsville 17,500 5.8% $386,325 $64,581 $1,343 0.0206
27 Munford 6,357 8.2% $264,122 $89,397 $1,117 0.0131
28 Erwin 6,026 4.9% $200,144 $40,670 $606 0.0060
29 Mount Carmel 5,486 5.8% $238,849 $64,971 $744 0.0126
30 Smyrna 53,760 5.4% $383,291 $76,115 $1,281 0.0232
31 Church Hill 7,016 13.3% $231,699 $65,518 $940 0.0066
32 Lebanon 39,562 3.0% $424,030 $63,698 $1,151 0.0230
33 Soddy-Daisy 13,091 3.4% $322,092 $64,119 $945 0.0173
34 Clinton 10,060 3.1% $291,859 $63,706 $861 0.0278
35 Clarksville 167,882 6.5% $298,690 $62,688 $1,119 0.0260
36 Lakeland 13,811 3.1% $436,028 $108,206 $1,480 0.0951
37 La Vergne 38,553 4.0% $335,140 $77,531 $1,603 0.0183
38 Arlington 14,342 3.1% $403,058 $116,409 $1,725 0.0951
39 Millersville 5,818 2.3% $315,668 $67,445 $1,191 0.0088
40 Columbia 42,474 3.4% $347,595 $58,110 $1,068 0.0293
41 Portland 13,177 3.8% $306,039 $68,315 $989 0.0105
42 Oak Ridge 31,535 5.6% $283,423 $67,152 $1,033 0.0214
43 Tullahoma 21,107 4.1% $264,990 $56,771 $824 0.0269
44 Winchester 9,450 3.2% $314,326 $58,054 $796 0.0329
45 Knoxville 191,857 4.8% $339,691 $48,309 $1,043 0.0482
46 Elizabethton 14,375 6.9% $207,286 $44,252 $725 0.0216
47 East Ridge 22,040 6.5% $241,145 $53,103 $1,024 0.0276
48 Greeneville 15,458 9.2% $212,344 $46,473 $661 0.0347
49 Cleveland 47,725 4.3% $280,069 $52,468 $922 0.0419
50 Alcoa 11,095 4.0% $283,927 $63,580 $1,017 0.0264
51 Cookeville 34,967 6.1% $295,584 $48,094 $855 0.0264
52 Dickson 16,051 7.1% $315,729 $65,244 $933 0.0313
53 McKenzie 5,608 5.0% $169,167 $38,628 $647 0.0214
54 Chattanooga 181,288 5.1% $294,487 $57,703 $1,066 0.0640
55 Dayton 7,139 6.0% $229,513 $54,511 $752 0.0238
56 Springfield 18,775 5.7% $311,432 $55,392 $1,000 0.0175
57 Henderson 6,326 3.7% $157,637 $44,077 $672 0.0152
58 Kingsport 55,415 5.3% $230,055 $48,228 $772 0.0489
59 Manchester 12,325 2.4% $296,307 $53,639 $871 0.0323
60 Bristol 27,307 8.8% $208,878 $49,130 $746 0.0286
61 Harriman 6,000 3.4% $213,706 $45,458 $724 0.0175
62 Sevierville 17,986 2.3% $374,979 $49,449 $969 0.0462
63 Shelbyville 23,676 4.0% $285,526 $50,694 $882 0.0262
64 Pulaski 8,301 7.4% $234,571 $41,585 $807 0.0345
65 Martin 10,823 6.5% $190,865 $38,235 $746 0.0267
66 Lewisburg 12,376 7.9% $279,150 $45,938 $833 0.0260
67 Milan 8,165 4.9% $166,736 $42,909 $726 0.0276
68 Paris 10,311 2.9% $182,391 $39,378 $739 0.0300
69 Jackson 67,993 9.0% $214,290 $48,058 $1,007 0.0380
70 Savannah 7,206 1.6% $171,551 $40,200 $724 0.0433
71 Newport 6,850 6.1% $197,359 $35,784 $750 0.0625
72 Smithville 5,059 5.6% $264,318 $30,526 $690 0.0265
73 Athens 14,091 5.7% $236,668 $50,150 $795 0.0651
74 Pigeon Forge 6,345 1.7% $464,290 $53,380 $858 0.0476
75 Lafayette 5,555 1.4% $247,931 $40,240 $842 0.0322
76 Millington 10,558 8.1% $226,046 $49,543 $1,044 0.0480
77 McMinnville 13,756 5.3% $232,009 $42,130 $720 0.0274
78 Madisonville 5,120 7.4% $257,114 $40,769 $697 0.0363
79 Dyersburg 16,170 6.5% $148,257 $50,550 $724 0.0609
80 Lexington 7,927 9.3% $191,622 $45,877 $719 0.0262
81 Covington 8,644 5.5% $175,849 $44,384 $843 0.0302
82 Sweetwater 6,310 9.4% $235,894 $38,750 $619 0.0282
83 Humboldt 7,851 7.1% $147,035 $40,299 $728 0.0276
84 La Follette 7,349 12.5% $143,885 $35,705 $729 0.0182
85 Crossville 12,099 10.6% $287,358 $44,375 $740 0.0434
86 Fayetteville 7,026 4.9% $228,303 $45,391 $716 0.0408
87 Memphis 630,027 8.6% $144,868 $48,090 $1,050 0.0951
88 Lawrenceburg 11,592 9.3% $219,030 $37,644 $729 0.0276
89 Morristown 30,574 8.1% $232,083 $39,547 $814 0.0446
90 Dunlap 5,443 4.3% $224,978 $42,188 $828 0.0220
91 Rockwood 5,468 7.6% $211,898 $43,309 $708 0.0545
92 Brownsville 9,739 11.5% $151,683 $38,662 $706 0.0357
93 Ripley 7,794 9.6% $136,891 $39,454 $688 0.0473
94 Bolivar 5,197 21.9% $135,889 $36,348 $822 0.0358

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.