Quick answer (as of November 2026) Where to live in Nashville comes down to where you'll drive every day and what you'll pay in property tax. With no traffic, Madison is about 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, downtown Franklin is 9 minutes from Cool Springs, Hermitage is 10 minutes from Nashville International Airport (BNA), and Spring Hill City Hall is 6 minutes from the road into the GM and Ultium Cells plant. For 2026, homes in Nashville pay $2.782 or $2.814 per $100 of assessed value, and homes in Thompson's Station pay $1.403, the lowest combined rate of the places on this page. October 2026 single-family medians ran from $439,995 in Murfreesboro to $1,322,124 in Franklin.
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.
You've got a job in Nashville, or a transfer, and every list of where to live ranks neighborhoods by feel. None of them tells you how long you'd drive to work from each one, or what the tax bill looks like on the house you'd actually buy, and you'll live with both every day.
I made the move from California to Middle Tennessee myself, and I live in Canterbury in Thompson's Station. Below are four parts of Nashville and eight towns around it, measured to four job centers: downtown Nashville, Cool Springs, the airport and the GM and Ultium Cells plant in Spring Hill. Every drive is measured with no traffic as of November 5, 2026, so treat each one as the floor.
What's the best part of Nashville to live in?
The best part of Nashville to live in is the one that keeps your daily drive short at a tax rate and price you're comfortable with. Pick the place you'll drive to most, find the fastest starting points in the table, then compare their tax rates and prices.
| Where (county) | Downtown Nashville (State Capitol) | Cool Springs (CoolSprings Galleria) | Nashville airport (BNA) | GM and Ultium Cells, Spring Hill | 2026 tax per $100 assessed, in town | Single-family median, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue, Nashville (Davidson) | 22 min, 14.0 mi | 27 min, 16.4 mi | 30 min, 21.6 mi | 50 min, 38.0 mi | $2.782, or $2.814 in the Urban Services District | Not in my October report |
| Antioch, Nashville (Davidson) | 21 min, 12.7 mi | 24 min, 14.6 mi | 16 min, 8.8 mi | 47 min, 36.2 mi | $2.782, or $2.814 in the Urban Services District | Not in my October report |
| Madison, Nashville (Davidson) | 15 min, 9.0 mi | 33 min, 24.4 mi | 19 min, 12.6 mi | 56 min, 46.1 mi | $2.782, or $2.814 in the Urban Services District | Not in my October report |
| Hermitage, Nashville (Davidson) | 20 min, 13.4 mi | 31 min, 24.2 mi | 10 min, 6.5 mi | 54 min, 45.9 mi | $2.782, or $2.814 in the Urban Services District | Not in my October report |
| Brentwood (Williamson) | 19 min, 11.7 mi | 12 min, 7.8 mi | 21 min, 14.7 mi | 35 min, 29.4 mi | $1.49 | Not in my October report |
| Franklin (Williamson) | 30 min, 22.1 mi | 9 min, 4.6 mi | 32 min, 25.1 mi | 26 min, 16.3 mi | $1.566, or $2.2433 in the Franklin Special School District | $1,322,124 |
| Thompson's Station (Williamson) | 41 min, 31.2 mi | 22 min, 15.6 mi | 44 min, 34.2 mi | 12 min, 7.3 mi | $1.403 | $894,108 |
| Spring Hill, Williamson County side | 44 min, 33.1 mi | 25 min, 17.5 mi | 47 min, 36.1 mi | 12 min, 5.5 mi | $2.009 | $718,000 |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | 47 min, 37.8 mi | 27 min, 22.2 mi | 49 min, 40.8 mi | 6 min, 3.0 mi | $2.108 | $477,500 |
| Nolensville (Williamson) | 30 min, 16.4 mi | 23 min, 12.4 mi | 28 min, 16.0 mi | 42 min, 31.7 mi | $1.64 | Not in my October report |
| Murfreesboro (Rutherford) | 45 min, 33.5 mi | 46 min, 32.4 mi | 40 min, 30.2 mi | 51 min, 41.3 mi | $2.2414 | $439,995 |
| Mt. Juliet (Wilson) | 28 min, 20.1 mi | 39 min, 30.9 mi | 18 min, 13.2 mi | 62 min, 52.6 mi | $1.4457 | $631,884 |
| Hendersonville (Sumner) | 29 min, 19.5 mi | 46 min, 34.9 mi | 34 min, 21.9 mi | 69 min, 56.6 mi | $2.0093 | $573,750 |
Drive times are OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) with no traffic, measured November 5, 2026. The four Nashville rows start at the Nashville Public Library branch in each area, Spring Hill's Williamson County side starts on Prescott Way on the north side, Franklin starts at the Public Square, and the other towns start at city or town hall. The GM and Ultium Cells column ends where Donald F. Ephlin Parkway leaves Highway 31 at GM's Spring Hill campus.
Tax rates are the 2026 county and city rates combined, inside city limits. Medians are single-family sales by the city in the listing address, which takes in some homes outside each city's limits. One month can move a median a lot, and Franklin's October number ran well above its usual range.
Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026.
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.
Where should I live if I work in downtown Nashville?
If you work in downtown Nashville, the shortest drives on this page start inside Davidson County or in Brentwood. With no traffic, Madison is 15 minutes from the State Capitol, Brentwood City Hall 19, Hermitage 20, Antioch 21 and Bellevue 22.
The next ring is about half an hour out: Mt. Juliet at 28 minutes, Hendersonville at 29, and Franklin and Nolensville at 30. Thompson's Station, Spring Hill and Murfreesboro run 41 to 47 minutes.
Between the closest Nashville areas and Brentwood, the bigger difference is the tax. Nashville's rate is $2.782 per $100 of assessed value, or $2.814 in the Urban Services District, and Brentwood's is $1.49. On a $500,000 home that's about $3,478 to $3,518 a year in Nashville and about $1,863 in Brentwood. For what daily life inside the city is like, read my pros and cons of living in Nashville and my Davidson County guide. Brentwood is in my Brentwood, TN guide.
Where should I live if I work in Cool Springs?
If you work in Cool Springs, Franklin and Brentwood are the closest starts on this page. With no traffic, Franklin's Public Square is 9 minutes from CoolSprings Galleria and Brentwood City Hall is 12.
After those, Thompson's Station is 22 minutes, Nolensville 23, Antioch 24, Spring Hill's Williamson County side 25, and Spring Hill City Hall and Bellevue 27. Thompson's Station has the lowest combined tax rate on this page at $1.403, and its October single-family median was $894,108, against $1,322,124 in Franklin.
I live in Thompson's Station, and it's close to both Spring Hill and Franklin without as much congestion. My guide to commute times from Thompson's Station has more starting points, and how far Franklin is from Nashville covers the Franklin side.
Where should I live if I fly out of BNA a lot?
If you fly out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) a lot, or work near it, the east side of Davidson County and Mt. Juliet are closest. With no traffic, Hermitage is 10 minutes from the terminal, Antioch 16, Mt. Juliet City Hall 18 and Madison 19.
Mt. Juliet carries one of the lower combined rates on this page, $1.4457 inside the city: Wilson County's $1.1657 plus the city's $0.28. The city says its property tax now pays for general government, including Fire and EMS. Mt. Juliet's October single-family median was $631,884. See my guides to Mt. Juliet, Hermitage and Antioch.
From the Williamson County towns the airport is a longer run: Brentwood 21 minutes, Franklin 32, Thompson's Station 44 and Spring Hill City Hall 49.
Where should I live if I work at GM or Ultium Cells in Spring Hill?
If you work at GM's Spring Hill plant or Ultium Cells, Spring Hill and Thompson's Station are the closest starts on this page. With no traffic, Spring Hill City Hall is 6 minutes from where Donald F. Ephlin Parkway leaves Highway 31, and Prescott Way on Spring Hill's Williamson County side and Thompson's Station Town Hall are each 12.
GM Spring Hill Manufacturing's address is 100 Saturn Parkway and Ultium Cells' is 301 Donald F. Ephlin Parkway, both in Maury County. The campus is big, so your gate changes the number. Franklin is 26 minutes out, and the four Nashville starts on this page are 47 minutes or more.
Spring Hill sits in two counties, and the side changes both the price and the tax. In October 2026 the single-family median was $477,500 on the Maury County side and $718,000 on the Williamson County side. The 2026 rate is $2.108 on the Maury side and $2.009 on the Williamson side. My guides to moving to Spring Hill for work, commute times from Spring Hill and which county a Spring Hill address is in cover the county line and more starting points.
How do property taxes compare around Nashville?
For 2026, combined property tax rates on this page run from $1.403 per $100 of assessed value in Thompson's Station to $2.814 in Nashville's Urban Services District. Tennessee assesses a home at 25% of its appraised value, so a $500,000 home is $125,000 of assessed value.
| Where (2026, inside city limits) | County | Combined rate per $100 assessed | Yearly tax on a $500,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson's Station | Williamson | $1.403 | $1,754 |
| Mt. Juliet | Wilson | $1.4457 | $1,807 |
| Brentwood | Williamson | $1.49 | $1,863 |
| Franklin, outside the Franklin Special School District | Williamson | $1.566 | $1,958 |
| Nolensville | Williamson | $1.64 | $2,050 |
| Spring Hill, Williamson County side | Williamson | $2.009 | $2,511 |
| Hendersonville | Sumner | $2.0093 | $2,512 |
| Spring Hill, Maury County side | Maury | $2.108 | $2,635 |
| Murfreesboro | Rutherford | $2.2414 | $2,802 |
| Franklin, inside the Franklin Special School District | Williamson | $2.2433 | $2,804 |
| Nashville, General Services District | Davidson | $2.782 | $3,478 |
| Nashville, Urban Services District | Davidson | $2.814 | $3,518 |
Rates come from Williamson County's 2026 rate chart, Maury County's July 2026 levy resolution, the City of Spring Hill's 2026 to 2027 ordinance, Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro, the City of Mt. Juliet, the Sumner County Commission's June 2026 minutes, the City of Hendersonville and Nashville's Metropolitan Trustee. Inside Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville and Thompson's Station, the county trustee collects the city tax with the county tax. The City of Spring Hill bills its own. Spring Hill's split is in my Spring Hill property tax guide.
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.
Send me two or three addresses and the place you'll drive to every day, and I'll run the county, the tax district and the drive on each one. DM, text or call 615-392-1186.
What's the difference between Nashville's Urban and General Services Districts?
Nashville and Davidson County share one government with two main tax districts. Every home pays the General Services District rate of $2.782 for 2026, and a home in the Urban Services District pays $2.814, which covers services like garbage pickup, street lights and sidewalks, per the Davidson County Assessor of Property.
On a $500,000 home the gap is about $40 a year, so the services matter more than the rate. Metro picks up trash weekly and recycling every other week at single-family homes in the Urban Services District. In the General Services District you hire a private hauler. Six satellite cities inside the county (Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Goodlettsville, Oak Hill and Ridgetop) carry their own tax lines.
Look up any Davidson County parcel on Metro's Parcel Viewer to see its district, or check the Assessor's tax rate page. The full monthly picture is in my cost of living in Nashville guide.
What kinds of homes and lot sizes will you find?
The medians in the table are single-family homes, and condos change the math a lot. In Franklin, October 2026's single-family median was $1,322,124, the median across all home types was $1,017,000, and condos sold for a median of $498,000 on 28 closings.
The gap is smaller where fewer condos sell. Thompson's Station's all-home median was $873,168 in October against $894,108 for single-family homes, and Spring Hill's all-home median was $515,000.
Lot size follows the zoning. Brentwood's residential districts set a minimum of one acre in R-2, two acres in R-1 and three acres in AR, per the City of Brentwood. Its open space subdivisions can have lots under an acre, as long as the whole subdivision holds no more than one home per acre of buildable land and the land saved stays open space. Everywhere else on this page, lot size comes down to the subdivision, so read it on the listing.
Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026.
How do you check an address before you buy?
Check five things on every address before you write an offer. A mailing address won't tell you the county or the city limits.
- Find the county. Run the address through the U.S. Census geocoder. It names the county, and under "Incorporated Places" it names the city if the home is inside its limits.
- Check the city limits. A Franklin, Spring Hill or Mt. Juliet mailing address can sit outside the city, which changes the city tax line.
- Find the tax district. In Davidson County, the Parcel Viewer shows the General Services District, the Urban Services District or a satellite city.
- Drive the route at the hour you'd leave, since every time on this page is a no-traffic floor.
- See the house. If you're buying from another state, I'll record a video walkthrough of any home you're serious about and send you an unlisted YouTube link you can rewatch as often as you need.
Here's how I work with relocation buyers. For the move itself, start with moving to Nashville, and if you want 13 towns side by side on the drive to downtown, see my comparison of the Nashville suburbs.
Tell me where you'll work and what you want to spend, and I'll lay out the addresses that fit, with the county, tax and drive on each one. DM, text or call 615-392-1186, or use the form below.
Sorting addresses by mail code? My Nashville zip code guide lists every ZIP and the area it covers. If a downtown condo is on your list, read my guide to the Gulch first.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best part of Nashville to live in?
The best part of Nashville to live in is the one that keeps your daily drive short at a tax rate and price you're comfortable with. Pick the place you'll drive to most, find the fastest starting points in the table, then compare their tax rates and prices.
Which area near Nashville has the lowest property tax rate?
For 2026, combined property tax rates on this page run from $1.403 per $100 of assessed value in Thompson's Station to $2.814 in Nashville's Urban Services District. Tennessee assesses a home at 25% of its appraised value, so a $500,000 home is $125,000 of assessed value.
Where should I live if I work in Cool Springs?
If you work in Cool Springs, Franklin and Brentwood are the closest starts on this page. With no traffic, Franklin's Public Square is 9 minutes from CoolSprings Galleria and Brentwood City Hall is 12.
What part of Nashville is closest to the airport?
If you fly out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) a lot, or work near it, the east side of Davidson County and Mt. Juliet are closest. With no traffic, Hermitage is 10 minutes from the terminal, Antioch 16, Mt. Juliet City Hall 18 and Madison 19.
Where should I live if I work at GM or Ultium Cells in Spring Hill?
If you work at GM's Spring Hill plant or Ultium Cells, Spring Hill and Thompson's Station are the closest starts on this page. With no traffic, Spring Hill City Hall is 6 minutes from where Donald F. Ephlin Parkway leaves Highway 31, and Prescott Way on Spring Hill's Williamson County side and Thompson's Station Town Hall are each 12.
What's the difference between Nashville's Urban and General Services Districts?
Nashville and Davidson County share one government with two main tax districts. Every home pays the General Services District rate of $2.782 for 2026, and a home in the Urban Services District pays $2.814, which covers services like garbage pickup, street lights and sidewalks, per the Davidson County Assessor of Property.
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.
Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026.
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