Tennessee is a state on the rise. According to the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress, public school test scores have improved faster in Tennessee than they have in any other state.
Home prices are rising as well. According to real estate website Zillow.com, median Tennessee home values have increased by 3.8% over the past year to $129,400, and they’re projected to grow 3.4% over the next year — outpacing nationwide projections of 2.6%.
These factors present opportunity and challenge for families looking to settle in the Volunteer State. It’s a state with many good school districts and varied, affordable housing, often in smaller communities outside larger cities such as Nashville and Memphis. Although rising home prices are good for existing homeowners, they’re an obstacle for potential homebuyers.
Affording a home can be particularly difficult for young families, whose budgets are often tighter. We set out to identify Tennessee’s top places for young families that offer a combination of reasonable home prices, well-rated schools and low crime. Keep in mind that not every place at the top of our list hit the highest mark in all categories.
NerdWallet’s analysis
By statistically comparing such factors as home affordability, income growth, education and a crime risk score, NerdWallet identified the best places to start your search for the Tennessee community that’s right for you. Here’s what our analysis of 98 places with a population over 5,000 turned up.
Best places for young families in Tennessee
1. Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel, in the northeast corner of the state, benefits from an affordable median home price of $127,900 and a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10. Its crime risk score is “most safe,” the highest possible, and families with kids make up roughly a third of the town’s households. Mount Carmel, which placed third in our previous analysis, is less than 10 miles from Kingsport and the 3,550-acre Bays Mountain Park.
2. Atoka
Grabbing second place for the second year in a row, Atoka received high scores in all of our categories, including a 9 out of 10 for its schools from GreatSchools.org and a crime risk grade of “most safe.” Atoka, which is 25 miles north of Memphis, features family events year-round, good for the 33.5% of households consisting of families with children.
3. Lakeland
Although Lakeland’s $226,800 median home price in 2014 is high for Tennessee, living there comes with sizeable benefits. The city of 13,000 was one of only four communities in our study to receive a perfect 10 from GreatSchools. Lakeland also earned our best risk rating of “most safe,” and its 15-year income growth rate of 69.8% was second-highest in our survey. The northeast Memphis suburb is home to the 235-acre Garner Lake, with its many recreational opportunities.
4. White House
White House’s history as a popular stop for stagecoach travelers is on display at the White House Inn Museum. The town of about 11,000 is 25 miles north of downtown Nashville and its many cultural events as the nation’s country music capital. The 2014 median home price in White House was $168,700; its schools earn a solid rating of 8 out of 10, and its 15-year income growth rate of 42.6% far outpaces the state average. White House rose two spots from its rank in our study last year, likely because this year’s data include the crime risk score, for which the town earned a “safe” grade.
5. Spring Hill
The largest community in our top 10, Spring Hill, 30 miles south of Nashville, has seen its population surge to more than 32,000 from just under 8,000 in the 2000 census. The town is best known as the former location of General Motors’ Saturn manufacturing facility, which has continued as a flexible assembly plant following GM’s shuttering of the brand in 2009. Spring Hill received a 9 out of 10 rating from GreatSchools. The median home price for Spring Hill in 2014 was $198,200, making homes there generally more expensive than elsewhere in the state.
6. Nolensville
Also in the Nashville area, Nolensville counts a whopping 52.5% of its households as families with children. Its schools received the highest crime risk grading of “most safe” and a 10 out of 10 from GreatSchools.org. But living here isn’t cheap compared to the rest of Tennessee: The median home price is $293,500.
7. Paris
The most affordable city on our list to have received a score of 8 or higher from GreatSchools, Paris has a median home price of just $81,200. Over the past 20 years, the city’s infrastructure has been revitalized, including a restoration of 1920s-era architecture to the downtown shopping area. Worth noting: The city received a crime risk score of “least safe,” and nearly a third of families in poverty include young children.
8. Kingston
Kingston, roughly a half-hour west of Knoxville, jumped up from 24th on our list last year, likely because of its increased rating of 9 from GreatSchools, as well as the inclusion of our crime score, for which Kingston received “safe” marks. Housing is relatively affordable, with a median price of $127,400. Kingston is home to a Tennessee Valley Authority coal plant, one of the largest such facilities in the country.
9. Bloomingdale
An unincorporated area just outside of Kingsport, Bloomingdale grabs our 9th spot largely thanks to its affordable median home price of $90,900. Bloomingdale received a crime risk score of “safe” and a GreatSchools score of 8. One point of concern here is economic opportunity — median income in Bloomingdale has grown only 7.5% since 1999, which is well below the 23.3% average growth of communities statewide.
10. Dayton
Located next to several wildlife refuge and outdoor recreation areas, including Armstrong Ferry Recreation Area, Dayton provides a balanced quality of life at below-median home prices. The town is best known as the site of the Scopes trial in 1925, which focused on evolution versus creationism. The community of 7,300 is home to Bryan College, a four-year Christian liberal arts college named after William Jennings Bryan, the prosecutor in the trial.
| Rank | Place | Population | GreatSchools rating | 2014 median home value | Selected monthly owner costs | 2014 median family income | 1999-2014 Income Growth | Residents who are married with children | Families in poverty with young children | Crime risk rating | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Carmel | 5,443 | 8 | $127,900 | $964 | $59,212 | 35.79% | 30.3% | 9.40% | Most Safe | 73.51 |
| 2 | Atoka | 8,727 | 9 | $173,600 | $1,419 | $83,500 | 35.46% | 33.5% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 67.88 |
| 3 | Lakeland | 12,549 | 10 | $226,800 | $1,781 | $109,421 | 69.79% | 31.1% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 66.74 |
| 4 | White House | 10,618 | 8 | $168,700 | $1,313 | $79,468 | 42.59% | 35.5% | 0.00% | Safe | 66.49 |
| 5 | Spring Hill | 31,467 | 9 | $198,200 | $1,507 | $82,597 | 31.85% | 39.2% | 7.10% | Most Safe | 65.76 |
| 6 | Nolensville | 6,131 | 10 | $293,500 | $1,889 | $105,589 | 45.79% | 52.5% | 7.40% | Most Safe | 64.90 |
| 7 | Paris | 10,165 | 8 | $81,200 | $883 | $39,066 | 21.10% | 15.6% | 30.70% | Least Safe | 64.83 |
| 8 | Kingston | 5,888 | 9 | $127,400 | $1,169 | $57,356 | 27.52% | 8.8% | 12.40% | Safe | 64.66 |
| 9 | Bloomingdale | 9,882 | 8 | $90,900 | $858 | $38,148 | 7.45% | 19.1% | 8.70% | Safe | 64.58 |
| 10 | Dayton | 7,316 | 8 | $107,700 | $928 | $43,074 | 29.94% | 14.8% | 52.40% | Safe | 63.54 |
| 11 | Seymour | 10,703 | 7 | $149,000 | $1,055 | $61,081 | 35.00% | 22.0% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 63.51 |
| 12 | Fairview | 8,020 | 8 | $169,100 | $1,341 | $66,947 | 34.39% | 27.8% | 16.70% | Most Safe | 62.80 |
| 13 | Arlington | 11,623 | 7 | $222,200 | $1,875 | $101,028 | 81.70% | 52.7% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 61.68 |
| 14 | Henderson | 6,429 | 7 | $107,000 | $961 | $48,548 | 18.68% | 19.3% | 15.30% | Safe | 61.40 |
| 15 | Franklin | 66,596 | 10 | $312,400 | $1,936 | $102,946 | 48.27% | 29.7% | 7.20% | Most Safe | 61.38 |
| 16 | McKenzie | 5,561 | 7 | $88,900 | $845 | $42,021 | 22.43% | 12.7% | 35.40% | Less Safe | 60.97 |
| 17 | South Cleveland | 5,951 | 6 | $115,600 | $940 | $52,747 | 31.92% | 22.0% | 22.20% | Safe | 60.35 |
| 18 | Brentwood | 39,059 | 10 | $487,900 | $2,626 | $149,101 | 25.88% | 42.9% | 6.00% | Most Safe | 60.31 |
| 19 | Bristol | 26,705 | 7 | $103,100 | $978 | $47,859 | 28.17% | 15.3% | 27.90% | Less Safe | 60.16 |
| 20 | Martin | 11,396 | 8 | $127,800 | $1,099 | $51,966 | 34.46% | 11.0% | 49.80% | Safe | 60.12 |
| 21 | Kingsport | 52,835 | 8 | $134,000 | $1,095 | $54,267 | 35.05% | 14.3% | 35.90% | Less Safe | 60.10 |
| 22 | Greeneville | 15,015 | 7 | $124,300 | $965 | $51,418 | 42.32% | 15.0% | 55.20% | Less Safe | 59.92 |
| 23 | Lexington | 7,771 | 7 | $120,400 | $1,118 | $56,500 | 36.38% | 19.4% | 7.90% | Least Safe | 59.92 |
| 24 | Collierville | 46,780 | 9 | $273,500 | $2,138 | $118,985 | 40.26% | 37.4% | 3.80% | Most Safe | 59.28 |
| 25 | Mount Juliet | 27,053 | 9 | $200,000 | $1,487 | $78,443 | 24.38% | 27.9% | 16.50% | Most Safe | 59.15 |
| 26 | Jonesborough | 5,138 | 6 | $153,000 | $1,077 | $61,318 | 38.83% | 16.5% | 7.60% | Most Safe | 58.64 |
| 27 | Milan | 7,826 | 7 | $91,700 | $894 | $37,827 | -1.76% | 18.8% | 0.00% | Safe | 58.62 |
| 28 | Millersville | 6,481 | 6 | $156,500 | $1,250 | $65,250 | 36.31% | 21.9% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 58.12 |
| 29 | Greenbrier | 6,550 | 7 | $141,700 | $1,246 | $60,057 | 24.44% | 23.5% | 17.90% | Most Safe | 58.07 |
| 30 | Clarksville | 140,563 | 7 | $135,500 | $1,159 | $53,144 | 28.30% | 24.5% | 25.10% | Safe | 57.85 |
| 31 | Johnson City | 64,614 | 8 | $154,500 | $1,165 | $55,273 | 34.89% | 13.9% | 33.00% | Less Safe | 57.72 |
| 32 | Loudon | 5,606 | 5 | $108,800 | $892 | $44,918 | 13.98% | 25.7% | 65.00% | Most Safe | 57.61 |
| 33 | Signal Mountain | 8,416 | 9 | $288,800 | $1,849 | $118,696 | 36.44% | 26.7% | 7.70% | Most Safe | 57.55 |
| 34 | Dyersburg | 16,998 | 6 | $91,800 | $1,080 | $48,117 | 38.45% | 17.1% | 26.70% | Least Safe | 57.36 |
| 35 | Fayetteville | 6,991 | 7 | $95,400 | $1,121 | $43,515 | 33.99% | 10.9% | 37.20% | Least Safe | 57.17 |
| 36 | Lawrenceburg | 10,440 | 7 | $84,500 | $940 | $35,733 | 8.76% | 14.4% | 37.50% | Least Safe | 56.48 |
| 37 | Gallatin | 31,800 | 7 | $161,700 | $1,225 | $56,164 | 34.05% | 18.8% | 22.50% | Safe | 56.05 |
| 38 | Smyrna | 42,235 | 7 | $149,000 | $1,270 | $62,964 | 22.14% | 23.6% | 14.10% | Safe | 55.67 |
| 39 | Bartlett | 57,805 | 8 | $172,900 | $1,608 | $86,583 | 23.76% | 25.6% | 4.40% | Safe | 55.27 |
| 40 | Church Hill | 6,742 | 5 | $127,000 | $1,080 | $54,750 | 26.09% | 24.5% | 7.70% | Most Safe | 55.20 |
| 41 | Hendersonville | 53,257 | 8 | $197,300 | $1,546 | $73,258 | 27.13% | 26.1% | 17.40% | Most Safe | 55.06 |
| 42 | Elizabethton | 14,322 | 6 | $110,100 | $951 | $43,301 | 29.90% | 13.7% | 43.20% | Less Safe | 55.00 |
| 43 | Portland | 11,853 | 5 | $130,600 | $1,125 | $58,496 | 43.42% | 21.6% | 12.50% | Safe | 54.88 |
| 44 | Alcoa | 8,556 | 7 | $120,400 | $960 | $47,266 | 6.62% | 14.3% | 30.00% | Less Safe | 53.93 |
| 45 | Lewisburg | 11,252 | 6 | $93,800 | $908 | $40,900 | 6.94% | 12.5% | 36.90% | Safe | 53.58 |
| 46 | Maryville | 27,824 | 7 | $189,100 | $1,367 | $67,813 | 37.88% | 24.3% | 22.90% | Safe | 53.46 |
| 47 | Lenoir City | 8,867 | 7 | $116,300 | $1,073 | $38,068 | 13.76% | 16.6% | 50.80% | Less Safe | 53.09 |
| 48 | Oak Ridge | 29,301 | 7 | $152,000 | $1,289 | $74,007 | 29.64% | 16.3% | 29.50% | Less Safe | 52.99 |
| 49 | Morristown | 29,152 | 6 | $112,400 | $966 | $39,260 | 17.58% | 19.9% | 48.40% | Less Safe | 52.89 |
| 50 | Murfreesboro | 114,660 | 8 | $177,200 | $1,416 | $66,092 | 25.52% | 20.8% | 20.40% | Safe | 52.85 |
| 51 | Rockwood | 5,480 | 5 | $91,300 | $864 | $39,205 | 21.61% | 15.7% | 35.50% | Least Safe | 52.78 |
| 52 | Dickson | 14,814 | 7 | $133,700 | $1,098 | $45,830 | 7.50% | 19.6% | 21.00% | Less Safe | 52.38 |
| 53 | Jefferson City | 8,342 | 5 | $109,800 | $947 | $43,506 | 28.09% | 14.2% | 28.90% | Less Safe | 52.05 |
| 54 | Tullahoma | 18,900 | 6 | $118,700 | $1,122 | $48,606 | 22.13% | 15.6% | 33.90% | Safe | 52.01 |
| 55 | Crossville | 11,125 | 7 | $133,900 | $1,009 | $36,810 | 10.85% | 14.3% | 30.70% | Least Safe | 51.81 |
| 56 | La Vergne | 33,637 | 6 | $127,700 | $1,175 | $55,833 | 1.10% | 28.7% | 5.30% | Safe | 51.80 |
| 57 | Knoxville | 181,759 | 6 | $116,500 | $1,077 | $47,180 | 25.12% | 10.6% | 28.60% | Least Safe | 51.12 |
| 58 | Manchester | 10,223 | 6 | $112,500 | $1,028 | $45,474 | 18.41% | 15.7% | 58.50% | Less Safe | 50.82 |
| 59 | Savannah | 7,029 | 5 | $87,000 | $871 | $34,818 | 16.95% | 11.6% | 39.90% | Least Safe | 50.61 |
| 60 | Sweetwater | 5,856 | 4 | $104,800 | $950 | $46,397 | 31.55% | 14.4% | 10.80% | Less Safe | 50.35 |
| 61 | Harrison | 7,595 | 5 | $138,700 | $1,170 | $64,557 | 16.50% | 19.4% | 16.90% | Most Safe | 50.33 |
| 62 | Millington | 11,152 | 5 | $116,800 | $1,249 | $63,482 | 42.67% | 13.6% | 27.50% | Less Safe | 50.01 |
| 63 | Middle Valley | 13,282 | 6 | $156,200 | $1,266 | $66,698 | 15.80% | 23.0% | 30.40% | Safe | 49.97 |
| 64 | Harriman | 6,296 | 5 | $85,300 | $1,005 | $38,448 | 23.27% | 12.8% | 60.50% | Least Safe | 49.41 |
| 65 | Union City | 10,791 | 5 | $94,500 | $933 | $44,044 | 8.12% | 14.5% | 34.10% | Least Safe | 48.92 |
| 66 | Athens | 13,603 | 6 | $117,800 | $965 | $41,360 | 4.54% | 16.5% | 49.00% | Least Safe | 48.80 |
| 67 | Clinton | 9,874 | 6 | $135,400 | $1,102 | $51,353 | 19.15% | 8.8% | 34.60% | Safe | 48.73 |
| 68 | Germantown | 39,207 | 8 | $282,100 | $2,151 | $126,360 | 21.82% | 27.3% | 5.40% | Most Safe | 48.68 |
| 69 | Winchester | 8,493 | 4 | $107,600 | $973 | $46,186 | 12.15% | 16.5% | 0.00% | Safe | 47.46 |
| 70 | Lebanon | 27,847 | 7 | $169,800 | $1,250 | $50,514 | 12.02% | 18.2% | 40.50% | Safe | 47.34 |
| 71 | Cleveland | 42,331 | 6 | $156,500 | $1,204 | $49,356 | 22.93% | 17.3% | 31.10% | Least Safe | 47.00 |
| 72 | McMinnville | 13,600 | 5 | $92,300 | $915 | $35,378 | 7.99% | 14.0% | 82.70% | Less Safe | 46.70 |
| 73 | Oakland | 6,944 | 3 | $166,400 | $1,327 | $74,018 | 30.35% | 26.4% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 46.10 |
| 74 | Soddy-Daisy | 13,109 | 3 | $125,400 | $1,114 | $54,806 | 32.40% | 20.1% | 3.10% | Safe | 45.56 |
| 75 | Cookeville | 31,004 | 7 | $157,800 | $1,166 | $41,484 | 4.70% | 10.5% | 38.20% | Less Safe | 45.36 |
| 76 | Sparta | 5,036 | 6 | $100,700 | $936 | $31,944 | -3.38% | 9.2% | 87.70% | Least Safe | 45.30 |
| 77 | Columbia | 35,207 | 5 | $116,000 | $1,066 | $44,799 | 4.62% | 15.3% | 27.90% | Less Safe | 45.19 |
| 78 | Newport | 6,890 | 5 | $87,400 | $953 | $30,859 | 15.18% | 4.7% | 78.00% | Least Safe | 44.96 |
| 79 | Collegedale | 9,488 | 4 | $192,000 | $1,328 | $70,474 | 34.65% | 21.6% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 44.58 |
| 80 | Farragut | 21,111 | 6 | $311,400 | $1,881 | $121,289 | 32.67% | 31.1% | 8.50% | Most Safe | 44.03 |
| 81 | La Follette | 7,304 | 2 | $75,600 | $829 | $32,394 | 33.67% | 14.2% | 71.20% | Least Safe | 43.18 |
| 82 | Humboldt | 8,363 | 3 | $75,500 | $899 | $37,265 | 13.46% | 8.1% | 28.20% | Less Safe | 43.06 |
| 83 | Pigeon Forge | 6,004 | 6 | $171,700 | $1,454 | $46,818 | 35.68% | 13.8% | 40.50% | Least Safe | 42.39 |
| 84 | Jackson | 67,190 | 4 | $118,700 | $1,217 | $51,073 | 24.81% | 15.8% | 36.90% | Least Safe | 42.21 |
| 85 | Springfield | 16,598 | 4 | $127,900 | $1,091 | $48,175 | 14.65% | 16.2% | 25.80% | Less Safe | 42.16 |
| 86 | Bolivar | 5,275 | 3 | $85,900 | $925 | $42,426 | 20.19% | 7.5% | 56.30% | Less Safe | 41.86 |
| 87 | Shelbyville | 20,616 | 4 | $91,500 | $1,048 | $32,552 | -10.73% | 18.0% | 35.20% | Safe | 41.30 |
| 88 | Green Hill | 6,667 | 4 | $184,400 | $1,335 | $74,018 | 11.12% | 20.4% | 0.00% | Most Safe | 40.89 |
| 89 | Red Bank | 11,759 | 4 | $123,500 | $1,130 | $48,598 | 16.55% | 13.0% | 44.10% | Less Safe | 40.86 |
| 90 | Chattanooga | 171,863 | 4 | $141,300 | $1,169 | $51,125 | 23.74% | 12.9% | 27.80% | Least Safe | 40.54 |
| 91 | Covington | 9,033 | 4 | $96,100 | $981 | $34,306 | 6.50% | 6.2% | 61.40% | Least Safe | 39.78 |
| 92 | Brownsville | 10,079 | 3 | $92,200 | $989 | $35,382 | 4.74% | 10.3% | 10.60% | Less Safe | 39.72 |
| 93 | Pulaski | 7,734 | 4 | $97,700 | $1,050 | $36,875 | -0.92% | 10.1% | 38.90% | Less Safe | 39.71 |
| 94 | Goodlettsville | 16,466 | 6 | $181,500 | $1,555 | $63,843 | 17.88% | 14.1% | 9.20% | Least Safe | 39.02 |
| 95 | Sevierville | 15,592 | 5 | $167,300 | $1,207 | $40,277 | 6.07% | 14.9% | 51.50% | Least Safe | 36.95 |
| 96 | Memphis | 656,715 | 3 | $95,400 | $1,211 | $43,539 | 15.28% | 11.0% | 35.40% | Least Safe | 36.92 |
| 97 | East Ridge | 21,220 | 2 | $116,700 | $1,040 | $50,144 | 14.33% | 14.9% | 13.80% | Least Safe | 36.72 |
| 98 | Ripley | 8,350 | 4 | $84,200 | $987 | $25,036 | -26.76% | 8.9% | 60.80% | Least Safe | 36.40 |
Methodology
We analyzed 98 places in Tennessee with populations of 5,000 or more. Certain places were excluded due to lack of data points or requirements for residency. Our methodology focused on four factors:
Home affordability. Home affordability, 30% of the total score, was calculated by averaging index scores for median home value and median selected monthly owner costs — which includes costs like taxes and mortgages — for the year 2014. The lower the costs, the higher the score. Data came from the American Community Survey, a division of the U.S. Census.
Growth and prosperity. Growth and prosperity are 20% of the total score. The two metrics were growth in family income from 1999 to 2014, and median family income in 2014. Data are from the American Community Survey.
Family friendliness. To measure whether an area is a good place for families, which is 20% of our total score, we looked at the percentage of married couples with at least one child under age 18, the average crime score as provided by NeighborhoodScout, and the percentage of families in poverty with at least one child under age 5.
Educational quality. Using data from GreatSchools.org, every place was given a 1-10 score, with 10 being the highest (read more about the methodology here). Education is 30% of the total score.
Image via iStock.
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