‘Mule Capital of the World’ with historic, small town charm
A brick Federal-style house with green shutters sits near the intersection of West Seventh and North High streets in Columbia, Tennessee. This 200+ year-old property and the White House are the only two buildings nationwide, that remain standing and once served as the homes of President James K. Polk.
Now a museum, the Polk House is one of several Columbia landmarks contributing to its historic, small-town charm. Both Country Living and Southern Living magazines have added Columbia to their lists of the 'best small towns' in the country. On Columbia, Rachel Helvering, director of the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, says, "The people are friendly. It’s got a really thriving downtown area that’s fun and once you get involved in the community, it’s really easy to get included in what’s going in Columbia.”
In addition to being the former home of a president, Columbia was once a mule trading center — a distinction that led the town to refer to itself as the 'mule capital of the world.' Today, Columbia is one of several Nashville metro towns that has recently garnered significant investment. Columbia is also the seat of Maury County, the fastest-growing county in Tennessee and a small hub for health care and automaking industries. The latest U.S. Census count shows Columbia's population to be around 41,700, a 20% increase from 2010.
The Maury County Courthouse was designed by James Edwin Ruthven Carpenter Jr. in Columbia.
Columbia, TN is known as Muletown in Maury County.
Residents stroll and shop on the weekends in Columbia's towns square.
James K Polk's home in Columbia, TN is the last remaining home still standing in Maury County.
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Contemporary Traditionals and ranch-style houses below regional prices
Columbia’s residential blocks feature many ranch-style and contemporary Traditional houses. Although many homes occupy smaller lot sizes, from under a quarter-acre to a half-acre, the area also features a few multi-acre properties.
Columbia and Maury County also have Tennessee's highest concentration of antebellum houses. Dating back to the 19th century and the period before the Civil War, Antebellum houses stand out with their stately builds and distinct Neoclassical and Greek Revival architectural designs.
With many no larger than 2,000 square feet, most homes in the Columbia area cost between $270,000 and $450,000. The city's median price is approximately $390,000, about $100,000 below Nashville’s median. The city’s median home sale price has also seen a year-over-year change of 10%, a trend driven by the increasing cost of housing in Nashville. “Columbia offers homebuyers the chance to live outside the city limits but hang onto the small-town feel,” says Matt Bogosian, a Realtor with Kerr & Co Realty, who’s been selling homes in the area for over five years.
The Mayes-Hatcher Hill home was built in 1859 in Columbia, TN.
The Mayes-Frierson House in Columbia is one of many historic homes built in 1833.
Columbia offers homebuyers the chance to live outside of the city with more of a small town.
Columbia attracts homebuyers looking for comfortable suburban life close to Nashville.
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Finding boutiques and trendy eats around the Downtown Square
The highly walkable Downtown Square is a destination for shoppers and weekend travelers. The vintage buildings house shops like Smith & York Co., a modern home boutique, and Blue 32 Antique Marketplace. Downtown visitors will find cafes, trendy bars and restaurants. A few notable establishments include the Square Market & Cafe, Taps Off Main and Puckett’s, the latter of which serves barbecue. Within a 3-mile drive, residents will find several big-box chains for grocery and retail shopping.
With the help of some city investments, the Columbia Mall is also set to undergo a massive, multi-year revitalization that will aim to turn the more than four-decade-old property into a renewed shopping and dining destination.
Taps Off Main serves a wide variety of beers and cans to-go in Downtown Columbia.
Bleu32 Vintage Marketplace has a large selection of vintage goods in Columbia.
Locals love Puckett's barbecue on the historic square in Downtown Columbia.
Smith & York Co. boasts upscale home decor and gifts in Downtown Columbia.
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Enjoying Beaux-Arts architecture and First Fridays
In addition to its shopping and dining options, the Downtown Square draws history buffs. The Maury County Courthouse anchors the square. An example of the Beaux-Arts style, the courthouse stands out with its dramatic cupola and grey stone structure.
The downtown neighbors the city’s Arts District. Formed in 2016, the Arts District has quickly become a haven for artists, musicians and locals who enjoy events like Third Fridays and the Muletown Flea Market. The district’s attractions include several public art installations and venues like the Mulehouse, a restored church turned music and events venue.
Major city events include Mule Day, which occurs in April and celebrates the area’s historic mule trade. The event regularly draws a few hundred thousand people. Those looking to take in the downtown scenery can show up for First Fridays, a monthly event that occurs between April and December. Many downtown businesses on First Fridays stay open past their typical hours. “Everybody’s out and about,” Helvering says.
Columbia's Arts District is a few blocks south of the main historic square.
Floods of locals Tennesseans come to the Mule Day parade every year in Columbia.
Maury County courthouse was built in 1906 in a Classical Revival style.
The Mulehouse is a restored church turned events venue in Downtown Columbia.
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Outdoor activities along the Duck River
Columbia has over 500 acres spread across six city parks and intertwining greenways. Cook Soccer Park, with ten soccer fields, is adjacent to Maury County Park. Riverwalk Park is located along the Duck River, northeast of Downtown Square, and features a walkway connecting downtown to the Riverwalk Park Dam. The river is a popular boating and kayaking spot and home to well over 100 fish species and other wildlife like beavers and hawks.
Visitors to the Polk house will find numerous family artifacts, including clothing items and presidential China. The property also features an impressive boxwood garden spanning an entire city block and a kitchen garden with seasonal plants. The kitchen garden grows pumpkins, corn and tomatoes and has fruit trees bearing apples, peaches and pears.
The Duck River runs through Columbia.
The Kids Kingdom Playground is the biggest in Maury County Park.
Take in the beautiful scenery of the Riverview Dam within a short walk of Downtown Columbia.
Cook Soccer Park has ten soccer fields for practices and games in Columbia.
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Maury County schools and several private options
Students can attend public schools in the Maury County School District, which earns a C-plus from Niche and has an average student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. The district ranks high for diversity and its athletic programs. The city’s private schools include the Columbia Academy, King’s Daughters’ School and Zion Christian Academy.
Largest hospital between Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama
Although based in neighboring Spring Hill, General Motors is one of Maury County’s largest employers. With well over 3,000 employees, the plant assembles various Cadillac models. Columbia is home to the Maury Regional Medical Center, the largest health care facility of its kind between Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama. The hospital employs over 2,000 people and is the Maury Regional Health system’s flagship institution.
Columbia offers the Mule Town Trolly, which serves Columbia, Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant. Highways 31 and 412 intersect in the middle of Columbia, while Interstate 65, just 8 miles east, connects to Nashville, Huntsville and Birmingham. Nashville International Airport is the closest airport to Columbia and is 41 miles away. “It’s really conveniently located, close to Franklin, Huntsville and Nashville. It feels like it’s easy to get to bigger cities if you want to,” Helvering says.
Important to know
Columbia has higher property and violent crime rates than both Tennessee and the rest of the country. For 2023, the city had a violent crime rate of 376 per 10,000 people, putting it above Tennessee’s rate of 210.7 and the country’s rate of 131. Columbia’s property crime rate of 261 per 10,000 people is also slightly above the state’s rate of approximately 244 per 10,000.
Columbia is part of Middle Tennessee, which weather experts say experiences four true seasons with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Extreme weather events like tornadoes usually occur in the spring months and late fall. A total of 21 tornadoes passed through Middle Tennessee in 2023, which was 20 more than the previous year. A total of 15 occurred between January and October of 2024.
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