Best Cities to Live in Tennessee

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As one of the main culture and music hubs of the south and home to some of the loveliest natural areas in the United States, you’ll be surprised to discover that Tennessee has some of the most affordable real estate in the country, as well as a very low cost of living. What more reason do you need to move to the Volunteer State? Have a glance at our rundown of Tennessee’s five best cities to live in for advice on where to establish yourself in the state.

1. Franklin

Franklin, an affluent, fast-growing city of nearly 81,000 in Williamson County, is the best Tennessee city to live in. The city has witnessed rapid development in recent decades, building up the healthcare and manufacturing sectors of its economy and providing tons of jobs to the community.

2. Millington

Millington is a small city in the southwest corner of the state that is best known as home to the Naval Support Activity Mid-South naval base, which provides over 7,000 jobs to residents in the area and is one of the largest employers in Tennessee.

3. Germantown

Third in the ranking is Germantown, a wealthy suburb of Memphis with a high median household income owing to a strong commercial and retail-based economy. Germantown residents enjoy a large number of scenic parks housing numerous amenities that are great for weekend outings.

4. Brentwood

Brentwood is an idyllic suburb of Nashville located in Williamson County, one of the most affluent counties in the country. The city is home to the headquarters of major companies like LBMC and EMI Christian Music Group.

5. Collierville

Filling out the top five is Collierville, another affluent suburb of Memphis that is home to a historic town square once voted “Best Main Street” in America by Parade Magazine.

Rank	City
1	Franklin
2	Millington
3	Germantown
4	Brentwood
5	Collierville
6	Ooltewah
7	Oak Ridge
8	Hixson
9	Lenoir City
10	Crossville
11	Arlington
12	Hendersonville
13	Cordova
14	Clarksville
15	Murfreesboro
16	Bristol
17	Jonesborough
18	Johnson City
19	Hermitage
20	Greeneville
21	Gallatin
22	Kingsport
23	Spring Hill
24	Memphis
25	Soddy Daisy
26	Powell
27	Mount Juliet
28	Antioch
29	Goodlettsville
30	Clinton
31	Maryville
32	Morristown
33	Tullahoma
34	Jackson
35	Mcminnville
36	Knoxville
37	Smyrna
38	Shelbyville
39	Cookeville
40	Manchester
41	Elizabethton
42	Madison
43	Dyersburg
44	Columbia
45	Lebanon
46	La Vergne
47	Sevierville
48	Cleveland
49	Springfield
50	Dickson
51	Chattanooga
52	Nashville

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Methodology

We ranked a total of 2,509 qualified cities (those with populations above 25,000 and enough data for analysis) by five factors: employment (number of establishments, median earnings); housing (owner-occupied housing with a mortgage, monthly housing costs); quality of life (work commute, poverty levels); education (percentage with a bachelor’s degree or higher); and health (obesity ratios).