Despite Tennessee's poor showing in recent livability rankings, the state still has some of the best counties in the country to raise a family.
According to Niche's 2026 rankings, Tennessee's best county
to raise a family is among the nation's top 20. The national analysis also employed a state-by-state approach, examining the best counties for raising a family in each state.
To determine the best county in each state, Niche examined factors such as public school grades, crime and safety, cost of living, family amenities, and diversity, among others. Niche then assigned individual weights to each factor based on its impact on the total score. Public schools had the largest weight, accounting for 20% of the overall grade.
Here is which Tennessee county is best for raising a family, according to the analysis.
Which county is best to raise a family in Tennessee?
Williamson County ranked as the best county in Tennessee to raise a family and the 20th best county in the country for the second year in a row.
Williamson County has a population of 260,351 and a median home value of $751,900. Residents in Williamson County primarily own homes, as only 21% of the population rents, with a median monthly rent of $1,969.
The county earned an A+ rating for its public schools, jobs, family life and health and fitness. Of Tennessee's counties, Williamson ranked No. 1 in Niche's rankings for best places for families, best counties in Tennessee for health and counties in Tennessee with the best public schools.
The Best counties for raising a family in Tennessee
Tennessee's top 15 counties for raising a family, according to Niche, span the state, with counties from all three regions in the top 10.
- Williamson County: overall Niche grade of A+
- Rutherford County: overall Niche grade of A
- Knox County: overall Niche grade of A
- Montgomery County: overall Niche grade of A-
- Hamilton County: overall Niche grade of A
- Wilson County: overall Niche grade of A-
- Sumner County: overall Niche grade of A-
- Chester County: overall Niche grade of B+
- Bradley County: overall Niche grade of B+
- Shelby County: overall Niche grade of A-
Best counties for raising a family in the South
The United States has 3,144 counties, but only 50 were ranked among the top counties in each state. In the South's best counties for raising a family, the average median household income was $102,134.
Williamson County, Tennessee, had the second-highest median household income in the South at $135.594. Forsyth County, Georgia, had the highest median income at $143,784.
- Shelby County, Alabama: $97,961
- Benton County, Arkansas: $93,506
- New Castle County, Delaware: $91,166
- St. Johns County, Florida: $109,839
- Forsyth County, Georgia: $143,784
- Oldham County, Kentucky: $122,497
- Ascension Parish, Louisiana: $91,549
- Montgomery County, Maryland: $132,450
- Lafayette County, Mississippi: $67,185
- Wake County, North Carolina: $105,768
- Tulsa County, Oklahoma: $69,009
- Greenville County, South Carolina: $76,932
- Williamson County, Tennessee: $135,594
- Collin County, Texas: $121,600
- York County, Virginia: $109,956
- Monongalia County, West Virginia: $65,346
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: This Tennessee county is the best in the state to raise a family. Here's why
