Best Cities for Families in Tennessee

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Tennessee

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Tennessee

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 86.6
Brentwood, TN
45,272 residents
Schools 7.6
Safety 58/100K
Home Affordability $926,700
#2
Score 86.1
Nolensville, TN
14,545 residents
Schools 7.6
Safety 50/100K
Home Affordability $695,100
#3
Score 85.4
Spring Hill, TN
53,585 residents
Schools 7.6
Safety 157/100K
Home Affordability $452,400
#4
Score 76.5
Norris, TN
1,472 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $306,300
#5
Score 76.4
Jonesborough, TN
6,056 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 150/100K
Home Affordability $247,900
#6
Score 75
Maryville, TN
32,196 residents
Schools 5.8
Safety 132/100K
Home Affordability $310,600
#7
Score 74.7
Hendersonville, TN
62,390 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 126/100K
Home Affordability $396,500
#8
Score 74.7
Tusculum, TN
3,304 residents
Schools 5.2
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $247,800
#9
Score 74.5
Gleason, TN
1,179 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $83,700
#10
Score 74.3
Sharon, TN
1,105 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 118/100K
Home Affordability $95,900
#11
Score 74
Signal Mountain, TN
8,861 residents
Schools 5.1
Safety 101/100K
Home Affordability $482,300
#12
Score 73.9
Mount Juliet, TN
40,828 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 166/100K
Home Affordability $423,000

Full Ranking, Tennessee

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Brentwood TN 86.6
2 Nolensville TN 86.1
3 Spring Hill TN 85.4
4 Norris TN 76.5
5 Jonesborough TN 76.4
6 Maryville TN 75
7 Hendersonville TN 74.7
8 Tusculum TN 74.7
9 Gleason TN 74.5
10 Sharon TN 74.3
11 Signal Mountain TN 74
12 Mount Juliet TN 73.9
13 Dresden TN 73.6
14 Rutherford TN 73.6
15 Medina TN 73.5
16 Dover TN 73.3
17 Gallatin TN 72.8
18 Collegedale TN 72.7
19 Burns TN 72.5
20 Murfreesboro TN 72.1
21 Alcoa TN 71.9
22 Watertown TN 71.4
23 Martin TN 71.3
24 Paris TN 71.2
25 Smyrna TN 71.1
26 Westmoreland TN 71
27 Newbern TN 70.9
28 Lebanon TN 70.7
29 McKenzie TN 70.7
30 Henderson TN 70.3
31 White House TN 70.3
32 Loudon TN 70.3
33 Loretto TN 70.2
34 Portland TN 70.1
35 Gordonsville TN 70.1
36 Bradford TN 69.8
37 Carthage TN 69.8
38 Bean Station TN 69.8
39 Franklin TN 69.8
40 Kingston Springs TN 69.7
41 Cookeville TN 69.5
42 Germantown TN 69.5
43 Red Bank TN 69.4
44 Oak Ridge TN 69.4
45 New Market TN 69.3
46 White Pine TN 69.3
47 Kingsport TN 69.2
48 Camden TN 68.9
49 Sparta TN 68.9
50 Huntingdon TN 68.9

Brentwood, TN tops the list with a composite score of 86.6 out of 100, followed by Nolensville and Spring Hill. TN dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →