Radio announcer David Cobb famously christened Nashville the “Music City” in the 1950s. The city has become a national tourist destination and the heart of the country music industry due to its performance venues, honky-tonk scene and many record labels. “There are a number of cities where entertainment is paramount, but no place exudes the same collaborative, creative and supportive feel as Nashville,” says Realtor and resident Robby Stone, who has been selling homes in the area since 2015. “Nashville’s community is a great melting pot of very unique, very diverse people who are not defined by neighborhood limits.”
Since the turn of the 21st century, however, Tennessee's capital has evolved into far more than a getaway for bachelorette parties and a launchpad for big-name recording artists. With several international companies establishing American headquarters in Nashville, the city has emerged as a center for health care, finance and technology. These industries’ influences are visible downtown, where new and sleek high-rises have sprouted around the iconic home of AT&T’s Tennessee headquarters — an office tower Nashvillians call the “Batman” building due to its resemblance to the superhero’s cowl. The area also boasts one of the fastest-growing economies and populations in the country. The city’s population of nearly 690,000 marks an increase by approximately 15% since the 2010 census. Even more recent census estimates show the entire Nashville metro as having a population of 2.1 million, up 1.5% from 2022.
While music floods downtown’s bustling Lower Broadway, an eclectic mix of boutiques and emerging restaurants fill surrounding areas like Five Points and other East Nashville communities. In West Nashville neighborhoods, like The Nations , industrial buildings have found new uses -- as homes, trendy gyms and craft drinking establishments. “Each neighborhood has its own specific feel and culture, so no two are alike,” Stone says. “It’s the small local bars, coffee shops, and little niche businesses that really make up what locals are experiencing on a daily basis.”
Nashville is the heart of the country music industry and the Capital of Tennessee.
Bringles Smoking Oasis has a large outdoor patio for all to enjoy in The Nations.
Local musicians can entertain guests at the Tin Roof in Music Row.
Five Points is the main dining and shopping district closest to Shelby Hills in East Nashville.
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The bright lights of ‘Nashvegas’
One of Nashville’s many nicknames, Nashvegas, stems from Broadway’s Honky-Tonk Highway. Numerous Western-themed pubs and restaurants line the festive downtown strip, and a few belong to country music stars like Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton. Every weekend, neon signs draw in passersby, looking to kick back a few beers, enjoy live music or even line dance. Nashville’s music culture goes beyond country, too. East Nashville’s more intimate venues like The Basement and Green Hills' Bluebird Cafe showcase indie bands playing genres from punk and heavy metal to blues and soul. “People are surprised that the music scene is wildly diverse,” Stone says. “There is something for every music lover here.”
The Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium are the city’s other iconic concert venues and host a mix of mainstream performers and up-and-comers. Concertgoers fill the streets of Nashville every June for the Country Music Awards (CMA) Music Fest, a four-day celebration with shows held at different venues throughout the city. In November, stars from the industry descend upon the city once again for the CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena downtown.
Plays, symphonies and ballet productions also grace stages across the city. The District 's Tennessee Performing Arts Center features three stages and puts on regular musical and dramatic performances. Museums in the area also include the Johnny Cash Museum and the Tennessee State Museum, but perhaps the most well-known are the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
The city has three major league sports franchises: the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, the NHL’s Nashville Predators and the MLS’ Nashville SC. The Titans and Predators, respectively, play their home games at Nissan Stadium on the East Bank and the Bridgestone Arena. A new Nissan Stadium, with 60,000 seats, is slated to open in 2027. Nashville SC plays at Geodis Park, which opened in 2022 inside the Wedgewood-Houston community. The city also has a minor league baseball outfit, the Nashville Sounds, which plays at First Horizon Park downtown.
The Ryman Auditorium is an iconic music venue in the heart of The District.
Nissan Stadium's capacity is 69,143 near Historic Edgefield.
Locals love cheering on Nashville SC at GEODIS Park near Berry Hill.
The nightlife in The District is one of a kind around the world.
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Modern condos, ‘tall and skinnies’ and historic single-family homes
Existing housing within the city runs the gamut from smaller starter homes to sprawling estates. The downtown area features several condominium complexes ranging from a mix of modern multi-story high-rises to refurbished, turn-of-the-20th-century brick buildings. The number of condo options downtown has multiplied since the late 2000s, and most come with luxury amenities like rooftop patios and pools. “They started about 10 years ago and, over the last two to three years, there are thousands of them down there,” says Jason Crosslin, a broker with Keller Williams Realty.
The neighborhoods outside the downtown also have a large, growing number of what Nashvillians affectionately call “tall and skinnies,” multi-story contemporary homes with modern features like flat or slanted skillion roofs. The tall and skinnies, a term used to describe two homes built on a lot initially used for a single house, are often horizontal property regimes. Historic homes, over a century old, are common in several neighborhoods a few miles from downtown and styles range from Craftsman bungalows and American Foursquares to Colonial Revivals, English Tudor cottages and opulent mansion-style houses. The South Nashville area between Radnor Lake State Park and the Nashville International Airport has neighborhoods of mid-20th century ranch-style houses home to both first-time homeowners and decades-long residents. Outlying areas like Bellevue feature suburban subdivisions with contemporary Traditional-style homes.
Home prices vary depending on multiple factors, such as size, location, historic character and overall condition. Single-family homes may run anywhere from $200,000 to well over $10 million. Condos can go from about $200,000 for a unit inside a garden-style complex to over $5 million for a downtown luxury unit. Nashville’s average sale price is $672,360, which is up 3% from the previous year.
Relax on your front porch in Belmont-Hillsboro at this Craftsman, bungalow style home.
505 Nashville is the tallest building in Nashville based on occupied floors.
Tall and skinny contemporary homes have no front yards in Fairlane.
Colonial Revival style of homes are less frequent in the Cherokee Park neighborhood.
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Edley’s barbecue, Hattie B’s hot chicken and the East Nashville scene
Nashville has plenty of downhome cooking and barbecue. Edley’s Bar-B-Que is an award-winning city-based chain known for smoking its meats on white oak. Another city specialty is hot chicken, a type of fried chicken that stands out with its distinct red coloring. Hattie B’s opened its first location downtown and is one of the city’s most recognizable hot chicken institutions. Other popular options downtown include Saint Anejo’s Mexican fare and Bourbon Steak, an upscale restaurant that provides 360-degree views of the city.
Other notable dining and shopping spots include Melrose Avenue, considered the city’s antique district south of downtown. The adjacent 12 South is a highly walkable neighborhood, where pedestrians will pass by murals, designer boutiques, quirky home décor stores and chef-driven eateries. Sylvan Park offers diners and shoppers a quaint and quiet atmosphere, while residents looking for convivial cocktail bars and breweries can head north to The Nations. New York and California transplants have influenced much of the scene in East Nashville, which boasts trendy record stores, art galleries and vintage shops.
The city has various shopping malls with specialty retailers and establishments. Hill Center, located in the Green Hills neighborhood, is an outdoor mall featuring brands like West Elm, Anthropologie and Whole Foods. On the city's outskirts, larger shopping centers like Opry Mills and Providence Marketplace offer a wider array of big box options and upscale stores. Tanger Outlets Nashville opened in the fall of 2023 in the southeast neighborhood of Antioch and features over 70 brands.
Locals of Historic Waverly can eat at Hattie B's hot chicken.
Edley's Bar-B-Que is a local dinner favorite near Historic Edgefield.
Browse thousands of your favorite music on record or see a live show at Grimey's near Iverson.
Locals can view contemporary artists at Red Arrow Gallery in East Nashville.
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Artistic structures at Centennial Park and Warner Parks’ nature hikes
Nashville’s 120 parks provide a retreat from its bright lights and music, and many are only a short walk or drive from homes. Major outdoor sites include the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, a green respite amid downtown’s high-rises. The 19-acre site’s attractions include the Court of Three Stars, a plaza surrounded by limestone columns housing 95 bells. The 132-acre Centennial Park honors Ancient Greece with replicas of The Parthenon temple and a 42-foot statue of the goddess Athena.
The Shelby Bottom Natural Area is a 1,200-acre greenway and nature center in East Nashville. Visitors can fish and boat on Sevier Lake or play baseball on one of its many sandy diamonds. The park also features playgrounds, golf courses, picnic shelters and a network of paved pathways and multi-use trails. The Cumberland River and Percy Priest Lake are two major bodies of water in the city and offer swimming and boating opportunities.
Located in the large suburban community of Bellevue, Warner Parks — the combined name for Edwin and Percy Warner parks — cover more than 3,100 acres of scenic woods and open fields. Miles of trails provide hiking, jogging, biking and horseback riding opportunities.
Bikers can follow the Shelby Bottom Greenway to be engulfed in nature.
Locals love to walk their dogs at Edwin Warner Park.
Locals can boat on Percy Priest Lake at Four Corners Marina.
Centennial Park is home to the Parthenon in Midtown.
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Regional hub with multiple interstates and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
As a regional hub, Nashville has access to several interstates and highways. Most residents rely on cars since proximity to Interstates 24, 65, and 40 allows for travel to and from neighboring communities. Urban areas are accessible through the 440 Parkway, Downtown Loop and Briley Parkway, while Route 840 connects four counties in an outer loop around the city. Public transportation options are also available to commuters, including WeGo Public Transit buses and the Music City Star Commuter Rail, which provides six train stops between Lebanon and Riverfront Park. Residents traveling farther out of town enjoy convenient access to the highly rated Nashville International Airport, where hundreds of regional and international flights are available daily.
The top 10 employers in the Nashville area include the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the State of Tennessee, Metro Nashville Public Schools, the federal government and Amazon. Companies like HCA Healthcare, Nissan Americas and Bridgestone Americas Inc. also count among the largest employers and have headquarters in the Nashville area. The city is also anticipating the arrival of software and cloud computing giant Oracle, which plans to build a world headquarters on the East Bank. The Oracle campus will form part of a larger mixed-use project that calls for a riverfront park and a pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River. Crosslin says one thing that’s helped make Nashville attractive over the years is “honestly, the tax structure. When I say tax structure, I mean … where we don’t have a state income tax. That’s attractive to people from other states who pay state income tax.”
Most diverse school district in the state and home to Vanderbilt University
Some of the most highly rated private and public schools in the state are in Nashville. For public education, kids may attend Metro Nashville Public Schools, which serves over 80,000 students. The district receives a B-minus overall grade from Niche and is the most diverse school district in the state. With A-plus ratings, standout high schools include Martin Luther King Jr. School and Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet School, the latter of which earned the title of best public high school in Tennessee. Notable district programs include the Academies of Nashville, which offers various career and college prep courses. Private institutions like the University School of Nashville and faith-based Lipscomb Academy also earn top marks from Niche.
Nashville is home to 12 4-year colleges and several community colleges. Vanderbilt University and Belmont University are the city's two largest higher education institutions. The two private universities each have an undergraduate student body of over 7,000.
Welcome to Martin Luther King Jr School.
The University School of Nashville's main building has large columns in Music Row.
Lipscomb Academy is home to the Mustangs in Nashville.
Hume-Fogg High School was the first public school located in Downtown Nashville.
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Important to know
Weather experts consider the Nashville area to have four true seasons. “But it can quickly transition from summer right into winter, with a short period of fall,” says Scott Unger, a forecaster with the local National Weather Service office. Similarly, the city can experience a short spring between winter and summer. Although it has relatively mild winters, Nashville can have at least one snow or ice event during that time of the year. Nashville typically experiences extreme weather events like straight-line winds and tornados during spring and late fall. “If you look across the country, we’re probably in line with the folks who are out in the plains, like Texas and Oklahoma. They deal with a lot of really big tornadoes out there, where we deal with a lot more weaker tornadoes,” Unger says. “But we have the threat of them more often than the folks in the plains do.”
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, Nashville's reported rates of violent and property crime are higher than state and national figures. Between 2022 and 2023, the city’s property crime rates increased by 12% and violent crime rates fell by about 2%. In November 2023, the Nashville Metropolitan Council accepted an almost $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to place authorized messengers – usually established and respected community leaders – in high-crime neighborhoods around Nashville. The grant aims to minimize violent crime by integrating individuals in the hopes that they will prevent or disrupt criminal activity.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
