Best places to live in Tennessee (2026)

All 22 ranked places in Tennessee, by all-round score.

Ranked by an all-round score: the average of all 14 quality scores (housing costs, taxes, jobs, healthcare, education, family life, safety, natural disasters, climate and more), weighted equally. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out, since their safety is unknown. Scores are out of 100.

1. 1Brentwood, TNSuburb · 3-bed $800k · very safe71
2. 2Germantown, TNSuburb · 3-bed $369k · very safe63
3. 3Mount Juliet, TNSuburb · 3-bed $484k · very safe62
4. 4Spring Hill, TNSmall city · 3-bed $446k · very safe61
5. 5Franklin, TNSuburb · 3-bed $704k · very safe61
6. 6Smyrna, TNSuburb · 3-bed $376k · safe60
7. 7Collierville, TNSuburb · 3-bed $363k · very safe59
8. 8Bartlett, TNSuburb · 3-bed $275k · safe57
9. 9Hendersonville, TNSuburb · 3-bed $442k · very safe56
10. 10Nashville, TNBig city · 3-bed $409k · higher crime53
11. 11Murfreesboro, TNMid-size city · 3-bed $389k · safe53
12. 12Knoxville, TNMid-size city · 3-bed $356k · higher crime52
13. 13Lebanon, TNSmall city · 3-bed $398k · safe51
14. 14Gallatin, TNSmall city · 3-bed $410k · very safe49
15. 15Chattanooga, TNSmall city · 3-bed $324k · higher crime48
16. 16Johnson City, TNCollege town · 3-bed $310k · moderate crime48
17. 17Kingsport, TNSmall city · 3-bed $274k · higher crime43
18. 18Cleveland, TNSmall city · 3-bed $321k · higher crime43
19. 19Memphis, TNBig city · 3-bed $148k · higher crime41
20. 20Columbia, TNSmall city · 3-bed $359k · moderate crime40
21. 21Clarksville, TNMid-size city · 3-bed $295k · moderate crime38
22. 22Jackson, TNSmall city · 3-bed $230k · higher crime34

Cheapest places to live in Tennessee

Ranked by the typical value of a 3-bedroom home (Zillow), lowest first.

1. 1Memphis, TNBig city · rent $1,680/mo · cost of living 92$148k
2. 2Jackson, TNSmall city · rent $1,680/mo · cost of living 86$230k
3. 3Kingsport, TNSmall city · rent $1,340/mo · cost of living 86$274k
4. 4Bartlett, TNSuburb · rent $1,680/mo · cost of living 92$275k
5. 5Clarksville, TNMid-size city · rent $1,870/mo · cost of living 91$295k

Safest places to live in Tennessee

Ranked by violent crimes per resident in FBI 2019 data, lowest first. Places missing from the FBI table are left out.

1. 1Brentwood, TNSuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate88 per 100k
2. 2Germantown, TNSuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate92 per 100k
3. 3Spring Hill, TNSmall city · violent crime 0.3× the US rate122 per 100k
4. 4Mount Juliet, TNSuburb · violent crime 0.4× the US rate158 per 100k
5. 5Franklin, TNSuburb · violent crime 0.4× the US rate165 per 100k

Safest places from natural disasters in Tennessee

Ranked by our natural disaster score: FEMA's expected deaths, injuries and home damage from 18 hazards, plus federally declared disasters in the county since 2000.

1. 1Kingsport, TN3 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, earthquakes94
2. 2Johnson City, TN6 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, earthquakes90
3. 3Brentwood, TN5 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, cold waves80
4. 4Franklin, TN5 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, earthquakes76
5. 5Knoxville, TN10 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, earthquakes75

Best places to live for families in Tennessee

Ranked by a family score: the average of our Kids & family, Safety, Education and Affordable housing scores. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out.

1. 1Germantown, TNSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $369k87
2. 2Collierville, TNSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $363k82
3. 3Brentwood, TNSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $800k81
4. 4Spring Hill, TNSmall city · kids good · safety excellent · 3-bed $446k75
5. 5Bartlett, TNSuburb · kids good · safety good · 3-bed $275k74

Best places to live · Cheapest places to live · Safest places to live · Safest places from natural disasters · Best places to live for families

Data: US Census, Zillow, HUD, BEA, FBI 2019, FEMA, NOAA, NASA, CMS, NCES and others. How scores work.