Quick answer (as of October 2026) Spring Hill and Columbia, TN are about 11 road miles apart on US 31, and the first difference is the county. Columbia is entirely in Maury County. Spring Hill is in two counties, Williamson on the north end and Maury on the south end. Columbia costs less to buy into, with a Census median home value of $308,700 for 2020 to 2024 against $493,800 in Spring Hill. Spring Hill is closer to everything north: about 46 minutes to the State Capitol and 22 to Franklin's Public Square without traffic, against 57 and 38 from Columbia. Inside city limits, 2026 property tax runs $2.009 per $100 of assessed value on Spring Hill's Williamson side, $2.108 on its Maury side and $1.9758 in Columbia.
*Disclosure:* Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
A Spring Hill mailing address doesn't tell you which town you're buying in. Marlon's Creek, at 1686 Lasea Road, has a Spring Hill 37174 address and sits inside the City of Columbia. If you've got a home in each town on your list, check the map before you compare the houses.
I live up the road in Canterbury, in Thompson's Station, and I own an investment property in Columbia: a historic home inside the historic district, a few blocks from the square, that I renovated and restored myself. I've been selling real estate since 2013 and investing in real estate since 2005, with more than $500 million in career sales. Send me a home from each town and I'll check the county, tax and water on both. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.
How do Spring Hill and Columbia, TN compare?
Spring Hill, TN costs more and sits closer to Franklin and Nashville. Columbia, TN costs less and has a courthouse square and a regional hospital, about 10 road miles farther from the State Capitol. The county sets the tax and school lines, so it's the first row. Figures are as of October 2026.
| Spring Hill | Columbia | |
|---|---|---|
| County | Two: Williamson (north) and Maury (south) | One: Maury, the county seat |
| Population, Census estimate, July 1, 2025 | 61,336, up 21.0 percent since 2020 | 50,072, up 20.3 percent since 2020 |
| Median home value, Census, 2020 to 2024 | $493,800, both counties together | $308,700 |
| Median listing price by county, Realtor.com, September 2026 | Williamson $1,155,000; Maury $493,850 | Maury $493,850 |
| 2026 property tax per $100 assessed, inside city limits | Williamson side $2.009; Maury side $2.108 | $1.9758 |
| Sales tax | 9.75 percent; groceries 6.75 percent | 9.75 percent; groceries 6.75 percent |
| To the State Capitol, no traffic | 37.7 miles, 46 minutes | 47.7 miles, 57 minutes |
| To Franklin's Public Square, no traffic | 13.7 miles, 22 minutes | 31.4 miles, 38 minutes |
| Public school district | Williamson County Schools on the Williamson side; Maury County Public Schools on the Maury side | Maury County Public Schools |
| Water and sewer | Spring Hill Water (city) | Columbia Power & Water Systems (CPWS) water; City of Columbia sewer |
| Electric | CPWS, Duck River Electric or Middle Tennessee Electric, by street | CPWS inside the city |
| New construction, October 26, 2026 | Nine communities, 11 builders | 18 communities, 14 builders, from $274,990 |
| Downtown | Main Street (US 31); no town square | Courthouse square |
What county are Spring Hill and Columbia, TN in?
Columbia, TN is entirely in Maury County, and it's the county seat. Spring Hill, TN is in two counties, Williamson to the north and Maury to the south, and its city limits cross the line.
So a home on Spring Hill's Maury side and a home in Columbia share a county rate and a school district. A home on Spring Hill's Williamson side doesn't share either one. My guide to what county Spring Hill is in shows how to check any address in five minutes.
The mailing address can fool you in two ways near this line:
- Marlon's Creek has a Spring Hill 37174 address and sits inside the City of Columbia, in Maury County.
- Firefly has a Spring Hill 37174 address and sits in unincorporated Maury County, outside both cities, so it pays no city property tax.
Which has lower property taxes, Spring Hill or Columbia, TN?
Columbia, TN has the lowest 2026 rate inside city limits, $1.9758 per $100 of assessed value, and the gap is small. Spring Hill pays $2.009 on its Williamson County side and $2.108 on its Maury County side. Those come from the Williamson County 2026 rate chart, Maury County Resolution 07-26-29 and each city's own tax ordinance.
| Where the home sits (2026) | County | City | Total per $100 assessed | A year on a $400,000 appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill, Williamson County side | $1.27 | $0.739 | $2.009 | about $2,009 |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | $1.369 | $0.739 | $2.108 | about $2,108 |
| Columbia, inside city limits (Maury County) | $1.369 | $0.6068 | $1.9758 | about $1,976 |
| Unincorporated Maury County | $1.369 | none | $1.369 | about $1,369 |
| Unincorporated Williamson County, outside the Franklin Special School District | $1.30 | none | $1.30 | about $1,300 |
Tennessee assesses a home at 25 percent of its appraised value, so a $400,000 appraisal is $100,000 assessed. On that value, the highest and lowest in-city rates sit about $132 a year apart. The price of the house moves your payment a lot more than the rate does.
Maury County reappraised every property for 2026. Its rate fell from $1.91 to $1.369, and the City of Columbia's fell from $0.8251 to $0.6068. Values reset at the same time, so compare a home's 2026 bill to its 2025 bill. If a listing sheet shows $2.649 for Spring Hill's Maury side or $2.7351 for Columbia, that's the 2025 rate. Williamson County's last reappraisal was 2025.
Inside either city, plan on two bills: the city collects its own tax, and the county bill comes from the county trustee. My Spring Hill property tax guide runs the math on both sides of the county line.
*Disclosure:* Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
Sales tax and income tax
Sales tax is the same in Spring Hill and Columbia, TN: 9.75 percent, made up of 7 percent state and 2.75 percent local, and 6.75 percent on groceries. That holds on both sides of Spring Hill's county line. Tennessee doesn't tax wages. Talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Is Spring Hill or Columbia, TN cheaper?
Columbia, TN is cheaper. The Census median home value for 2020 to 2024 was $308,700 in Columbia and $493,800 in Spring Hill, a $185,100 gap, and the median owner with a mortgage paid $529 less a month in Columbia.
| Census, 2020 to 2024 | Spring Hill | Columbia | Maury County | Williamson County | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median value, owner-occupied home | $493,800 | $308,700 | $355,700 | $751,900 | $286,700 |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,077 | $1,548 | $1,666 | $2,642 | $1,566 |
| Median gross rent | $1,844 | $1,197 | $1,300 | $1,969 | $1,189 |
Those are five-year survey figures, so they run behind today's market, and the Spring Hill column covers both counties. For asking prices, Realtor.com's public county data puts Maury County's median listing price at $493,850 in September 2026 and Williamson County's at $1,155,000. Maury County's figure takes in Columbia, the south end of Spring Hill and the rest of the county, so read it as a county number.
My guides to living in Spring Hill and living in Columbia go deeper on each town's costs.
How far is Spring Hill from Columbia, TN?
Spring Hill City Hall is about 11.3 road miles from the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, roughly 18 minutes without traffic on US 31. Spring Hill is the closer of the two to everything north, and Columbia is the closer one to Maury Regional Medical Center.
| To | From Spring Hill City Hall | From the Maury County Courthouse |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin's Public Square | 13.7 miles, 22 minutes | 31.4 miles, 38 minutes |
| CoolSprings Galleria | 22.2 miles, 27 minutes | 32.2 miles, 39 minutes |
| Tennessee State Capitol | 37.7 miles, 46 minutes | 47.7 miles, 57 minutes |
| Nashville International Airport (BNA) | 40.8 miles, 49 minutes | 50.8 miles, 61 minutes |
| Maury Regional Medical Center | 13.0 miles, 21 minutes | 2.0 miles, 4 minutes |
Those are OSRM routing figures with no traffic, measured October 30, 2026, so add time at rush hour.
City Hall is about 6.7 miles from I-65 by Saturn Parkway, which meets the interstate at Exit 53. Spring Hill's other connection is Exit 55 at Buckner Road and June Lake Boulevard. The Columbia courthouse is about 9.6 miles from I-65 by Bear Creek Pike, US 412, at Exit 46.
The Census Bureau puts the average commute at 30.0 minutes in Spring Hill and 28.0 in Columbia for 2020 to 2024. Columbia's extra miles show up when your job is north of Spring Hill. Drive your actual route at the hour you'd actually leave before you buy.
What school district is Spring Hill or Columbia, TN in?
Columbia, TN is in Maury County Public Schools. Spring Hill, TN has two public districts: Williamson County Schools on its Williamson County side and Maury County Public Schools on its Maury County side.
I don't rank schools. Zones change by street inside each district, so check the exact address on the Williamson County Schools zone page or the Maury County Public Schools street lookup.
Who provides utilities in Spring Hill and Columbia, TN?
Spring Hill, TN runs water and sewer through Spring Hill Water, a city department. In Columbia, TN, Columbia Power & Water Systems (CPWS) supplies water and electric inside the city, and the City of Columbia runs the sewer system. Both water systems draw from the Duck River, and Atmos Energy is the gas company for both, per Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association community profiles.
Electric service in Spring Hill depends on the street. Those profiles list CPWS, Duck River Electric and Middle Tennessee Electric for the area, so I confirm the provider on every address. Outside Columbia's city limits, parts of the county are on Duck River Electric, and it's worth asking whether a lot is on sewer or septic before you buy.
Where is the new construction, Spring Hill or Columbia, TN?
Columbia, TN has more new construction and lower starting prices. As of October 26, 2026, 14 builders were selling in 18 communities with a Columbia address, from $274,990. Spring Hill, TN had nine communities selling or opening inside the city, with 11 builders. These are prices each builder published that day.
| Where | Community and builder | Published price, October 26, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia address (Maury County) | Hillcrest Village, M/I Homes | From $274,990 |
| Columbia address (Maury County) | Reserve at Hickory Ridge, D.R. Horton | From $389,990 |
| Columbia address (Maury County) | The Landing at Greens Mill, Goodall Homes | From the upper $400s |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | Barton Hills, Century Communities | From $389,990 |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | Arbor Valley, Goodall Homes | From the upper $400s |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | Harvest Point, D.R. Horton | From $489,990 |
| Spring Hill, Williamson County side | August Park, Richmond American | $799,990 to $1,034,990 |
Goodall Homes prices about the same in both towns. D.R. Horton's starting price runs $100,000 higher at Harvest Point than at Reserve at Hickory Ridge. Plans and sizes differ, so compare a specific plan before you read much into a starting price.
Spring Hill passed Ordinance 25-29 on January 5, 2026, a sewer capacity allocation system under a state consent order, so ask the builder whether your lot already holds its allocation. My Spring Hill new construction page and Columbia new construction page list every builder.
What's downtown like in Spring Hill vs Columbia, TN?
Columbia, TN has the courthouse square. The Maury County Courthouse, built in 1904 and 1905, sits in the middle of the Public Square, ringed by shops and restaurants, with the President James K. Polk Home on West 7th Street just west of it. My downtown Columbia guide covers the blocks around it.
Columbia is a great place to own, and I've had my own hands on one of the old houses near that square. Those homes need to be inspected by someone who knows old houses. Columbia has five local historic overlay districts, and under guidelines adopted June 11, 2026, exterior work beyond routine maintenance needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before it starts. First Fridays close the square to traffic from April through December, and Mule Day is set for April 1 to 3, 2027.
Spring Hill, TN has no town square. Main Street there is US 31, with Rippa Villa, built in 1855, at 5700 Main Street, and City Hall is on Town Center Parkway. The layout is suburban and not especially walkable. In December 2023 the city said TDOT had put widening Main Street in its 10-Year Project Plan, with construction planned for 2033, so plan on today's road for now.
Columbia is the bigger retail center: the Census counted $1.59 billion in 2022 retail sales there and $686 million in Spring Hill. It also has the 255-bed Maury Regional Medical Center. Spring Hill is home to General Motors' 2,100-acre manufacturing campus.
What do Spring Hill and Columbia, TN have for parks?
Spring Hill, TN's largest city park is Fischer Park at Port Royal, 30 acres on the Maury County side. It's one I know well. My kids have played soccer there, and they play football with the Spring Hill Hawks, who practice there.
Columbia, TN has the Duck River running through town. Riverwalk Park sits on it just northeast of the square, and Chickasaw Trace Park, a 240-acre Maury County park, has nine miles of mountain bike trails and a boat ramp.
What are the tradeoffs of Spring Hill vs Columbia, TN?
The tradeoff between Spring Hill and Columbia, TN is mostly price against distance, and Spring Hill's two county sides don't land in the same spot. This is how the three line up as of October 2026.
| What you get | What you give up | |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill, Williamson County side | June Lake and I-65 Exit 55, at the northeast corner of the city | The highest prices of the three: Richmond American lists homes at August Park from $799,990 as of October 26, 2026 |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | City Hall, Fischer Park and Rippa Villa, with published single-family starting prices well below August Park on the Williamson side | The highest 2026 in-city tax rate of the three, $2.108, and no town square |
| Columbia | The lowest Census home value and in-city tax rate of the three, a courthouse square and a 255-bed hospital | About 11 more minutes to the Capitol and 16 more to Franklin's Public Square than Spring Hill City Hall, plus historic overlay rules near downtown |
So, should you buy in Spring Hill or Columbia, TN?
Spring Hill or Columbia, TN comes down to your budget, your drive and the house you want. Start with the county, then the city limits, then the payment with taxes in it. Then drive it at rush hour.
If Franklin or Thompson's Station is also on your list, my Franklin vs Spring Hill, Thompson's Station vs Spring Hill and Thompson's Station vs Franklin comparisons run the same kind of numbers. For homes for sale, start with my Spring Hill page or my Columbia page.
Frequently asked questions about Spring Hill vs Columbia, TN
What county are Spring Hill and Columbia, TN in?
Columbia, TN is entirely in Maury County, and it's the county seat. Spring Hill, TN is in two counties, Williamson to the north and Maury to the south, so the county depends on the exact address.
Is Spring Hill or Columbia, TN cheaper?
Columbia is cheaper. The Census median home value for 2020 to 2024 was $308,700 in Columbia and $493,800 in Spring Hill, a figure that covers both of Spring Hill's counties.
Which has lower property taxes, Spring Hill or Columbia, TN?
For 2026, a home inside city limits pays $1.9758 per $100 of assessed value in Columbia, $2.009 on Spring Hill's Williamson County side and $2.108 on its Maury County side. Homes are assessed at 25 percent of appraised value, so a $400,000 home pays about $1,976, $2,009 or $2,108 a year.
How far is Spring Hill from Columbia, TN?
Spring Hill City Hall is about 11.3 road miles from the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, roughly 18 minutes without traffic on US 31.
Which is closer to Nashville, Spring Hill or Columbia, TN?
Spring Hill is about 10 road miles closer. Spring Hill City Hall is about 37.7 miles and 46 minutes from the Tennessee State Capitol without traffic, and Columbia's courthouse is about 47.7 miles and 57 minutes. Add time at rush hour.
Can a Spring Hill address be in Columbia, TN?
Yes. Marlon's Creek, at 1686 Lasea Road, has a Spring Hill 37174 mailing address and sits inside the City of Columbia, in Maury County. A mailing address doesn't set the city limits, so check the exact address.
What school district is Spring Hill or Columbia, TN in?
Columbia is in Maury County Public Schools. Spring Hill is in Williamson County Schools on its Williamson County side and Maury County Public Schools on its Maury County side. Check the exact address with the district.
*Disclosure:* Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
Comparing a home in each town?
Send me both addresses and I'll check the county, the city limits, the school district, the utilities and the 2026 tax rate on each one before you write an offer. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.
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