The greater Nashville area ranks among the nation's top U.S. cities to live in a new survey analysis, despite Tennessee's poor ranking on several recent quality-of-life reports.
Nashville led Denver, Colorado and San Diego, California in the most-desirable-city category ofreal estate services company Clever's "The Best (and Worst) Places to Live in 2026." The report is based on a survey of 1,000 Americans and more than one-in-five survey respondents said Nashville is the most desirable city in the U.S.
High-ranking cities shared relatively low crime rates, low costs of living, good weather and cleanliness.
The positive attention came just one month after Tennessee was ranked as the worst state to live in a 2026 CNBC analysis. Survey respondents
looked favorably on Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area, according to Clever. CNBC agreed that Tennessee is business-friendly and offers economic opportunity but said the state ranks low on quality-of-life, health and inclusiveness, including health care and worker protections.
Nashville's desirability goes hand-in-hand with the evolution of Middle Tennessee's economy and the area's ongoing real estate development boom. In another recent study, published by financial services company LendingTree, Nashville was ranked as one of the top ten "Boomtowns" for 2026.
LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz said the Nashville area's combination of new residents, housing and workforce growth is indicative of the desirability of the market for both individuals and businesses.
“Nashville continues to attract people from outside the area, and that can have a ripple effect across the local economy," he said in an email. "More residents can create demand for housing, goods and services, while a growing workforce can give businesses more room to expand. That kind of momentum can create significant opportunities for entrepreneurs, even as a fast-growing market brings more competition.”
Suburbs of Nashville drive growth, favorability with movers
Much of the Nashville area's growth has been absorbed by its suburbs.
Cities like Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Columbia and others have been celebrated in recent years for their high quality-of-life ratings, access to Nashville's favorable job market and relative affordability when compared to larger cities, specifically those in California. And while Davidson County is growing, surrounding counties like Williamson, Wilson and Rutherford are adding residents at a breakneck pace.
Businesses have followed the population growth, and new retail operations expanding in Middle Tennessee have shown that the suburbs are a crucial growth area.
Mt. Juliet and Lebanon, for example, have seen a recent explosion in business expansion, including big names like Sam's Club, BJ's Wholesale, Costco, In-N-Out Burger, Texas Roadhouse and more. A Wawa recently opened in Lebanon with two more planned for Wilson County. A new Target is also being built in Lebanon.
"I think the population growth is mostly to credit, but I do see some, especially smaller businesses, relocating out of Davidson County because of high taxes, homeless population issues and crime," said developer Mark Lineberry with Lineberry Properties, who has completed multiple commercial real estate projects in Middle Tennessee, including Wilson County.
"Wilson County doesn't have those issues," Lineberry said. "Mt. Juliet especially does a fantastic job of keeping people safe."
Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell and Economic Development Director Sarah Haston have been building on that momentum with targeted marketing and advertising efforts.
“We actively recruit outside of Lebanon,” Bell said. “We have made it abundantly clear we are open for business.”
Nashville among top Southern 'boomtowns' in desirability, GDP growth
In the Clever report, multiple other Southern cities joined Nashville in the top ten, with Charlotte, North Carolina taking the 4th spot; Tampa, Florida taking the 6th spot; Raleigh, North Carolina taking 7th; Austin, Texas taking 8th and Orlando, Florida ranking 10th.
The report highlighted Nashville's strengths to explain its top ranking. The Nashville area boasts a diversified job market, a growing and vibrant food and entertainment scene, and it ranks well on overall friendliness. The city is also more affordable on average than New York, San Francisco and other large urban areas, despite the fact that housing costs have skyrocketed over the past decade due to its exploding popularity.
Nashville also ranked 2nd for "cities with the nicest residents," and ranked 3rd in the "cities most on the rise" list included in the report.
Meanwhile, the LendingTree report was also filled with Southern cities in the top ten.
In an examination of U.S. Census Bureau data between 2023 and 2024, Nashville tied for 9th overall on the list of top "boomtowns." To determine the rankings, the report considered eight metrics across three categories: people and housing, work and earnings and business and economy.
Over the study period, the Nashville metro area's workforce grew by 3.2% and the real GDP grew 3.7%, which signals a continued expansion of the area's overall economic output. Median earnings grew by 3%, while the population and housing supply also grew.
Austin, Texas was ranked No. 1 while Raleigh, North Carolina was ranked No. 2. Charlotte, North Carolina, Tampa, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida and Orlando, Florida were other Southern cities in the top 10.
“A lot of people and businesses have been heading South over the past several years, and that’s created a lot of momentum,” Schulz said. “In many places, you can still find a lower cost of living, a growing population and a business climate that’s attractive to employers."
Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville and assists with special projects. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville dubbed a 2026 'boomtown,' ranked number 1 in desirability
