Best Tennessee Cities for Quality Living

The best places to live in Tennessee depend on what you want from the move. Germantown and Collierville lead for suburban schools and household incomes, Memphis and Jackson offer the lowest home prices, Nashville has the state’s biggest job market, and Atoka, Brighton, and Macon County trade city amenities for space and a slower pace. This guide compares eight of them using current U.S. Census Bureau figures on population, home values, and income, then walks through what daily life looks like in each one.

Tennessee also has no state income tax on wages, which helps every city on this list. Spyder Moving and Storage moves households across West Tennessee from its Memphis office at 3290 New Getwell Rd, and handles longer moves across the state with its own crews and trucks.

What are the best places to live in Tennessee?

Based on cost, schools, jobs, and lifestyle, these eight places stand out. Six of them sit in West Tennessee, where Spyder’s Tennessee moving team is based, and two are in Middle Tennessee.

• Atoka – a growing Tipton County town north of Memphis with newer subdivisions and town parks
• Brighton – a small Tipton County town on US Highway 51 with its own elementary, middle, and high school
• Collierville – a historic town square, its own school district, and the highest home values on this list
• Memphis – the lowest median home value here, plus music, food, and major hospitals
• Jackson – West Tennessee’s “Hub City” on I-40, with two colleges and short commutes
• Germantown – an established Memphis suburb with its own municipal school district
• Nashville – the state capital and the center of Tennessee’s largest metro area
• Macon County (Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs) – a fast-growing rural county near the Kentucky line

How do the best Tennessee cities for quality living compare?

The table below puts the eight places side by side. Home values and incomes come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024), and population is the Census estimate for July 1, 2025, except for Brighton, where the table uses the 2020 Census count because QuickFacts does not list towns under 5,000 residents.

For comparison, the national median home value in the same Census survey is $332,700 and the national median household income is $80,734. Nashville’s population figure covers the consolidated Metro government, not including the separate cities inside Davidson County.

Atoka

Atoka is a Tipton County town north of Memphis that grew from 10,008 residents in the 2020 Census to an estimated 10,645 in 2025, a 6.3% increase. It suits families who want a newer house, a yard, and a small-town calendar while still working in the Memphis area.

Town life centers on its parks: Walker Park, Nancy Lane Park, and Adkison Park, which is named for World War I Medal of Honor recipient Joseph B. Adkison. Nancy Lane Park is getting a new concession stand, paved paths, and other upgrades funded by a $300,000 state parks grant that the town is matching. Each spring the park hosts the Atoka BBQ Fest, a cooking contest with live music and a kids’ market that has become the town’s signature event.

What does it cost to live in Atoka?

Atoka’s median home value of $320,700 sits above the Tennessee median but below the national figure, and the median household income of $89,663 is well above the state’s. The main trade-off is the drive. The average commute in Atoka is 36.2 minutes, about ten minutes longer than the state average, because many residents work in Memphis, Millington, or Covington.

If a newer subdivision and a quieter evening are worth that commute, Spyder’s Atoka movers can handle the move from anywhere in the Memphis area.

Brighton

Brighton is one of the smallest towns on this list, with 2,888 residents in the 2020 Census. It sits on US Highway 51 between Atoka and Covington in Tipton County, close enough to Memphis for a daily commute but with the feel of a place where people know their neighbors.

A big part of Brighton’s appeal for families is that children can stay in town from kindergarten through graduation. Brighton Elementary School, Brighton Middle School, and Brighton High School are all part of Tipton County Schools, and the high school campus sits right on Highway 51.

Is it affordable to live in Brighton?

Yes. Brighton’s median home value is $214,100, about 36% below the national median of $332,700 and well under the Tennessee median. At the same time, the town’s median household income is $80,882, higher than the state’s $69,595, so housing takes a smaller share of a typical budget than in most of the state.

For buyers who want a starter home or more square footage for the money, our Brighton TN movers can plan your move from anywhere in West Tennessee.

Collierville

Collierville is a Shelby County town of about 51,900 people on the eastern edge of the Memphis area. Its historic Town Square, lined with older storefronts, restaurants, and boutiques, is the center of local life.

The square hosts a free Summer Concert Series on Thursday evenings in June and July, and the Morton Museum of Collierville History sits just off it, with exhibits on the town’s past and its own free evening concerts. For outdoor time, W.C. Johnson Park has trails, a boardwalk, and a spray park, Suggs Park is a short walk south of the square, and Herb Parsons Lake is a state fishing lake just outside town.

What are jobs and incomes like in Collierville?

Collierville’s median household income is $138,598, roughly double the Tennessee median, and 62.5% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Many residents commute to corporate offices, hospitals, and logistics companies across the Memphis metro, and the town has its own base of manufacturing, retail, and professional services. The average commute is about 25 minutes.

That income comes with the highest home prices on this list: a median home value of $485,900. If the numbers work for you, movers in Collierville TN from Spyder’s Memphis office can schedule your move around school calendars and closing dates.

How good are Collierville schools?

Collierville runs its own public school system, Collierville Schools, separate from Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Families often look at Tara Oaks Elementary, Schilling Farms Elementary, West Collierville Middle School, Collierville Middle School, and Collierville High School. Because school zones follow addresses, confirm which schools serve a specific house before you sign a contract.

Memphis

Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with an estimated 609,647 residents in 2025. The city has lost about 3% of its population since 2020, but for buyers that has an upside: the median home value of $169,000 is roughly half the national figure, and the median rent is $1,181.

Culture is where Memphis stands out. Beale Street, Sun Studio, and Stax anchor its blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll history, and barbecue is a local identity, not just a menu item. The University of Memphis and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are among the city’s best-known institutions, and healthcare is one of its largest employers.

What can nature lovers do in Memphis?

Shelby Farms Park covers about 4,500 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in the country, with lakes, trails, and the Shelby Farms Greenline for biking. The Mississippi River riverfront, the Memphis Zoo, and the Memphis Botanic Garden round out weekend options for families.

Is Memphis a good place to live on a budget?

For housing costs, yes. Memphis has the lowest median home value of any city in this guide. Incomes are lower too, with a median household income of $51,736, and the poverty rate is higher than the state’s, so the neighborhood you pick matters more here than almost anywhere else in Tennessee. Our guide to the best Memphis neighborhoods for families is a good place to start.

Spyder’s Memphis office is at 3290 New Getwell Rd, Suite 204. Our Memphis movers handle apartment, house, and office moves anywhere in the city.

Jackson

Jackson, the Madison County seat, has about 69,300 residents and sits on I-40 between Memphis and Nashville. Its long-standing nickname, the “Hub City,” comes from its role as a rail and highway crossroads, and that location still makes it a practical base for jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, distribution, and education.

Union University and Jackson State Community College give the city a steady student population and plenty of continuing education options. For culture, The Ned R. McWherter Cultural Arts Center downtown has a 420-seat theater and two art galleries with local and traveling exhibits.

Is Jackson affordable?

Jackson’s median home value is $217,800, about a third below the national median, and its average commute is just 18.2 minutes, well below the state average of 25.7 minutes. Incomes are closer to Memphis levels, with a median household income of $53,032. For buyers who want a full-size city without big-city prices, it is hard to beat. When you are ready, movers Jackson TN residents rely on can plan the move from the Memphis area or elsewhere in West Tennessee.

Germantown

Germantown is an established Shelby County suburb of about 40,000 people just east of Memphis. Tree-lined streets, large lots, and well-kept parks define the city, and the numbers back up its reputation: the median household income is $149,920, the highest on this list, and 71.9% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree.

Germantown also runs its own public school system, the Germantown Municipal School District, which includes Houston Middle School and Houston High School. If safety is high on your list, our guide to the safest places to live in Tennessee explains how to compare crime data by city. When you have found a house, your moving company Germantown TN families call is just a short drive from Spyder’s Memphis office.

Germantown neighborhoods, schools, and parks

Germantown’s history goes back to the early 1800s, and the city still hosts the Germantown Charity Horse Show, a multi-day event at its own show arena on Poplar Pike that nods to its equestrian roots. Families use the Germantown Community Library, walk the city’s greenway trails, and spend weekends at Cameron Brown Park, which has playgrounds, a lake, and pickleball courts.

Housing is the main hurdle, with a median home value of $470,800. If you are coming from inside Memphis, our guide to moving from Memphis to Germantown covers what to expect.

Nashville

Any list of the best cities to live in Tennessee has to include the capital. Music City earns its name with the Grand Ole Opry and the honky-tonks on Broadway, but residents stay for the rest: a job market built on healthcare, tech, and education; universities like Vanderbilt and Belmont; and a food scene that runs from hot chicken to fine dining. Families lean on the Nashville Zoo and the Adventure Science Center, and weekends go to Radnor Lake State Park or Percy Warner Park.

Davidson County added more residents than any other Tennessee county between 2024 and 2025. The trade-off is cost: Nashville’s median home value of $413,600 is about 44% above the Tennessee median, and the median rent is $1,586. Families who want more space often look at the suburbs instead, as our guide to the best suburbs around Nashville explains. If you’re already in West Tennessee and thinking about the move, our guide to moving from Memphis to Nashville covers the practical side.

Macon County: Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs

For a slower pace northeast of Nashville near the Kentucky line, Macon County is one of the state’s underrated areas to live. The county has grown 9.7% since 2020, to about 27,700 residents, as retirees and families look for land and quiet within driving distance of Nashville. Lafayette, the county seat, has a classic downtown around the courthouse, and Red Boiling Springs is known for its mineral springs and historic hotels, including Armour’s Hotel, which still offers mineral baths.

Housing is a big part of the draw. The county’s median home value is $225,700, about a third below the national median.

One note so you call the right team: Spyder’s Macon TN movers serve Macon, the small Fayette County community east of Memphis, not Macon County. A move to Lafayette or Red Boiling Springs from West Tennessee is planned as a long-distance move.

Which Tennessee city is best for you?

There is no single best city to live in Tennessee, but the data points to clear winners by priority:

• Schools and household income: Germantown and Collierville, both with their own municipal school districts
• Lowest housing costs: Memphis, followed by Brighton, Jackson, and Macon County
• Career growth: Nashville, with the largest metro economy in the state
• Space and a small-town pace: Atoka, Brighton, and Macon County
• Short commutes: Jackson, with an average drive to work of about 18 minutes

If none of these fit, Tennessee has plenty of other options, from lake towns to college towns in East Tennessee. Our list of small towns in Tennessee worth moving to and our guide to moving from Memphis to Chattanooga cover more of the state.

How do you choose where to move in Tennessee?

Start with a short list of two or three places, then check them the same way:

1. Compare home values, rents, and incomes for each place in Census Bureau QuickFacts, which is where the numbers in this guide come from.
2. Confirm the school zone for each address, since Shelby County has several municipal districts besides Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
3. Drive the commute at rush hour before you buy, especially from Atoka, Brighton, or Macon County.
4. Visit on a weekday and a weekend to see the town square, parks, and traffic at different times.
5. Book movers four to six weeks ahead, and earlier for summer moves.

Whichever of the best places to live in Tennessee you choose, Spyder Moving and Storage can handle the move with licensed, bonded crews, from packing and storage to the last box. Request a free estimate or call our Memphis office at 901-329-9064 to plan your move to a new Tennessee city.