Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Nashville

You think about moving to Nashville but want to get additional information on this interesting city so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Nashville or not?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Nashville in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Living in Nashville – Overview

ClimatePeople in Nashville enjoy warm summers and moderately cold winters.
HousingProperty prices and rents are still moderately low compared to NYC and L.A. and housing shortage is not a big problem in Nashville yet.
IncomePeople make an average income in Nashville compared to the rest of the US.
CrimeCrime rate in Nashville is above national average.
EducationDecent schools and colleges in Nashville, even though you will not find world-class education.
Job MarketLow unemployment rate makes Nashville an attractive place to work and live in.
CultureNashville is a multicultural city where you can meet many interesting people from all over the globe.
Leisure ActivitiesYou can go fishing, swimming, hunting, hiking and do many other things in nature.
LandscapeNashville has many beautiful forests and lakes surrounding it.
InfrastructureDecent public transport near the city center and good medical infrastructure.
Level of ToleranceNashville is one of the most tolerant cities in Tennessee.
NightlifeNightlife in Nashville is not as great as in other major cities in the US, even though you will have some decent bars and clubs to choose from.
Total Population702,472 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in nashville

Advantages of Living in Nashville

  1. Property prices are fairly low in Nashville
  2. Rents are still lower compared to other major cities
  3. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Nashville yet
  4. You will not struggle to find a suitable place to stay
  5. Risk of getting evicted is lower compared to other major cities
  6. People don’t have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on rent yet
  7. Average person can still afford a decent home
  8. Living costs in Nashville are lower compared to other big cities
  9. Financial pressure in Nashville is lower as well
  10. People are often able to save and invest money for retirement
  11. Most people in Nashville don’t need a second job to survive
  12. Nashville can be an interesting place to invest in property
  13. You can watch many interesting sports events in Nashville
  14. You can spend lots of time in nature
  15. You will find more than enough things to do in your leisure
  16. Most people never get bored with living in Nashville
  17. People in Nashville are tolerant
  18. People are willing to help you out
  19. Easy to make new social connections in Nashville
  20. People are welcome from all over the world
  21. Unemployment rate is pretty low in Nashville
  22. Many big corporations to work for
  23. You can build a strong business network in Nashville
  24. Nashville is well-known all over the US
  25. Many people from other states consider moving to Nashville
  26. Nashville offers the comfort of a big city
  27. You will find most things you need within walking distance
  28. You can enjoy decent nightlife in Nashville
  29. Many shopping opportunities in Nashville
  30. You can try many interesting foods in Nashville
  31. Nashville provides decent public transport
  32. Nashville is a bike-friendly city
  33. You may not need a car to get around
  34. Nashville is a great city for artists
  35. Many museums to visit in Nashville
  36. Nashville has interesting architecture
  37. Traffic is not a big problem in Nashville yet
  38. Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Nashville
  39. It doesn’t take long to get from one end of Nashville to the other
  40. Nashville is not as crowded as other cities
  41. You will find many recreational spaces to relax
  42. Nashville has decent air quality
  43. People can make decent money in Nashville
  44. Nashville has decent tap water quality
  45. Real seasons make Nashville an interesting place to live
  46. You can try various winter sports
  47. Nashville has been underrated for a long time
  48. Population in Nashville is growing
  49. Decent future outlook for Nashville
  50. People in Nashville are more real than in other major cities
  51. Decent schools and colleges in Nashville
  52. Nashville can be a great place to live for every age group
  53. You may never have to move again
  54. Nashville has an international airport

Property prices are fairly low in Nashville

One advantage of moving to Nashville is that property prices are still reasonably low compared to other major cities in the US.

Consequently, you don’t have to spend that much money on paying off your mortgage and will also more likely get a loan since purchase prices are still reasonable and future projections are positive compared to more expensive regions where the housing bubble may burst pretty soon.

Rents are still lower compared to other major cities

Not only property prices are fairly reasonable, but also rents are still much lower compared to other big cities.

In turn, while people living in San José or other expensive regions often have to pay enormous amounts of money for rent, you will be much better off living in Nashville since rents are much lower and you will have more money left to spend on other things.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Nashville yet

Since demand for housing in Nashville is not as high as in many other major cities, housing shortage is not a big problem yet and competition in the housing market is much lower.

In turn, you will also not have that much pressure when it comes to finding a nice place to stay since you will have many options to choose from in this regard.

You will not struggle to find a suitable place to stay

Since competition in the housing market in Nashville is relatively low, you will also have a pretty easy time finding a nice home while many other people moving to more popular regions will often have to spend lots of time and money finding a good place to live and it may even take them months or years to be successful in this regard.

Risk of getting evicted is lower compared to other major cities

Since demand for housing is lower compared to other major cities, you don’t have to have an excellent financial track record to find a good place to live as would be the case in many other places where demand for housing is higher.

Moreover, your risk of getting evicted is also lower since landlords will be more likely to compromise with you in case you are not able to pay your rent for a limited period of time since they will often have trouble finding good tenants and may not want to let you go.

People don’t have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on rent yet

Since property prices and rents are still reasonably low, people in Nashville also don’t have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on housing but can rather use their money for other important things for daily life and may even be able to afford some luxury.

Average person can still afford a decent home

Another upside to moving to Nashville is that the average person is still able to afford a decent home while many other people living in NYC or other more expensive places often struggle in this regard and get into serious financial trouble sooner or later.

Living costs in Nashville are lower compared to other big cities

Not only housing costs are much lower in Nashville, but also living costs are lower compared to other major cities.

In turn, people in Nashville are able to go out for a drink, to a restaurant or to the movies and don’t have to spend as much money as people living in San Diego or other more expensive places.

Financial pressure in Nashville is lower as well

Since living costs and housing prices are much lower compared to other major cities, you will also have far less financial pressure by moving to Nashville compared to people living in more expensive regions and this will take lots of stress away from you and you may just be able to live a happier life in general since you will not have to worry about money that much.

People are often able to save and invest money for retirement

Another benefit of moving to Nashville is that you may also be able to save and invest more money for retirement since you will not have to spend as much of your disposable income on housing and other expenses of daily life but can rather live in a relatively cheap manner and have more money left for the time you get older and are no longer able to work anymore.

Most people in Nashville don’t need a second job to survive

Since living costs and rents are still affordable, many people in Nashville don’t have to work a second job and can make a decent living from what they are doing.

Consequently, people in Nashville often have enough time left to spend with their families and can maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Nashville can be an interesting place to invest in property

Since property prices in Nashville are still pretty low and rental yields are decent compared to other major cities, it may also be a good place to invest in property since property prices and rents may continue to increase in the future and you can really benefit from this development if you invest early enough before most other people do.

You can watch many interesting sports events in Nashville

Nashville also has many great sports teams.

For instance, if you are a hockey fan, you can watch the games of the Nashville Predators and you will just have many sports teams to choose from in general and will never get bored in this regard anytime soon.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Another benefit of living in Nashville is that you can also spend lots of time in nature.

In fact, there are many nice lakes and forests in the Nashville region where you can hang out and reload your batteries for the stressful times yet to come.

You will find more than enough things to do in your leisure

In general, Nashville is a pretty interesting city and has a lot to offer.

Consequently, you will have more than enough things to do in your leisure.

Not only will you be able to go fishing, hunting or hiking, but you can also just go to the movies, go for a drink, go to the zoo or do many other things in Nashville.

Most people never get bored with living in Nashville

Since there are so many things to do, you will never run out of ideas regarding what you want to do with your leisure and will also never get bored living in Nashville, at least if you are open to trying new things and are also curious enough to really try stuff.

People in Nashville are tolerant

Another reason to move to Nashville is that people in this city are pretty tolerant and will not judge you due to your lifestyle or other things that may make you different compared to the general public.

In turn, Nashville can be a great place to live for people who want to experience different lifestyles and are curious about other attitudes towards life in general.

People are willing to help you out

Not only are people in Nashville friendly and tolerant, but most of them are also willing to help you out in various parts of life.

In fact, you can find many good friends in Nashville who will support you during difficult times of your life so that you can overcome them in the best possible manner.

Easy to make new social connections in Nashville

Since people in Nashville are friendly and outgoing, it is also pretty easy to make many new social contacts and friends soon after you move to Nashville as long as you are open and friendly yourself and also love to hang out with other people.

In such a case, you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated and will find many new friends pretty soon.

People are welcome from all over the world

Since people are welcome from all over the world, it doesn’t really matter where you come from since it will be easy for you to become a valuable member of society as long as you are friendly and tolerant and also know how to behave.

Unemployment rate is pretty low in Nashville

Another upside to living in Nashville is that unemployment rate is pretty low compared to national average and this means that you don’t have to worry about losing your job anytime soon since even in case this happens, chances are that you will find a new job pretty soon.

Many big corporations to work for

Nashville is also an important economic region and you will find many big corporations to work for.

Thus, it doesn’t really matter what your field of expertise is as long as you have solid education and are also able to provide lots of value to the corporate world.

You can build a strong business network in Nashville

Since Nashville attracts ambitious and talented people from all over the world, you can also meet many influential people and can build a strong business network which may help you climb the corporate ladder and make really good money in the long run.

Nashville is well-known all over the US

While Nashville doesn’t have the same great reputation as NYC or other major cities in the US, it is still well-known all over the country and has a solid standing while it is not considered as dodgy as Philadelphia or other regions that have far higher crime rates and are also in pretty bad condition right now.

Many people from other states consider moving to Nashville

Since Nashville has many nice things to offer, it has also become increasingly popular by people from all over the US and many people currently living in more expensive regions think about moving to Nashville to save lots of money on rent so that they have more money left to spend on other things.

Nashville offers the comfort of a big city

Another advantage of living in Nashville is that the city offers everything you need to live a happy and comfortable life.

In fact, you will find everything you need in this city and don’t have to drive to other cities as would be the case if you lived in smaller towns where the supply of material goods is usually worse.

You will find most things you need within walking distance

In general, Nashville has pretty decent public infrastructure and you will find most things you need for daily life within walking distance which is great since it just makes your life much more efficient compared to living in smaller towns where it is often much harder to get all the things you need within a reasonable amount of time.

You can enjoy decent nightlife in Nashville

While nightlife in Nashville is not as great as in other major cities, it is still pretty decent and you will have more than enough bars to hang out after work and to meet up with your favorite people.

Many shopping opportunities in Nashville

The city of Nashville also offers many decent shopping malls and you will find many fancy boutiques as well so that people find something for every budget and will never run out of options in this regard.

You can try many interesting foods in Nashville

Another benefit of living in Nashville is that you can also try many different foods from different parts of the world and this not only gives you a great culinary experience, but you can also get some inspiration for cooking at home so that you can improve your skills in this regard in the long run.

Nashville provides decent public transport

You should also know that public transport in Nashville is pretty decent as long as you live close enough to the city center and you can get around by bus in a pretty efficient manner.

Nashville is a bike-friendly city

If you don’t want to rely on public transport, you can also use your bike to get around since Nashville is a pretty bike-friendly city and you can use your bike for short distances and may often even be faster than going the same distance by car.

You may not need a car to get around

Since public transport is decent and biking infrastructure is great, you may not even need a car if you live close enough to the city center and can save lots of money on fuel and also do good for our environment in the long run.

Nashville is a great city for artists

Nashville is also well-known for music and art and has a long history in this regard.

Consequently, you can meet many great artists from all over the world and can hang out with like-minded people in case you are an artist yourself or just interested in art in general.

Many museums to visit in Nashville

Nashville can also be a great place to live if you want to spend your time in interesting museums and exhibitions since you will have more than enough choice in this regard.

Nashville has interesting architecture

You will also find lots of interesting architecture in Nashville and if you are an architect, moving to Nashville can be great for you since you will get lots of inspiration in this regard.

Traffic is not a big problem in Nashville yet

While traffic is about to pick up, it is still not as of a big deal as in other major cities and while people living in L.A. often get stuck in traffic jams, people in Nashville have a much easier time in this regard and can get around by car much more efficiently.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Nashville

Since traffic is not a big problem in Nashville yet, it is also relatively easy to find a parking lot and you don’t have to spend as much time or money as in other big cities in this regard.

It doesn’t take long to get from one end of Nashville to the other

Since Nashville is much smaller compared to other big metropolitan areas, you can also get from one end to the other within a reasonable amount of time and this can be helpful in case you want to visit friends in other parts of the city since it will not take you as long as in other big cities and you will also be less likely to get stuck in traffic jams.

Nashville is not as crowded as other cities

Another reason for moving to Nashville is that the city is not as crowded as other major cities and this means that you will have more space for yourself and will also find more than enough quiet spaces to be on your own in case you need some time for yourself to think about your life.

You will find many recreational spaces to relax

Living in Nashville is also great since you will also have more than enough recreational spaces to relax.

For instance, you can just sit down in parks during lunch breaks to reload your batteries so that you will have enough energy once you get back to work for the demanding tasks still waiting for you.

Nashville has decent air quality

Nashville also has decent air quality compared to many other major cities in the US and this can be great for you since it not only increases your overall quality of life, but it also makes it less likely for you to suffer from serious pulmonary diseases in the long run.

People can make decent money in Nashville

Also income levels in Nashville are pretty decent and as long as you have good education and hold a fancy degree, chances are that you will be able to make decent money from your job and since you don’t have to spend that much money on housing yet, you may even be able to afford some luxury.

Nashville has decent tap water quality

You should also know that Nashville has pretty decent tap water quality and this means that you don’t necessarily have to rely on bottled water but can rather drink tap water and can therefore save lots of time and money in this regard in the long run.

Real seasons make Nashville an interesting place to live

While you will have warm summers, winters in Nashville are relatively cold and this makes Nashville an interesting place to live in since you can experience real seasons and don’t experience warm weather all year long as people living in Dallas or other hot regions often do.

You can try various winter sports

Since you will experience cold winters, you will also be able to enjoy the snow and can go skiing or do other winter sports near Nashville which adds many nice things to your overall mix of leisure activities.

Nashville has been underrated for a long time

Nashville may also have been underrated for quite a long time and it is greatly picking up in popularity right now.

Thus, it may be a good time to move to Nashville and buy a property right now before an increasing number of people want to move to Nashville and property prices may increase quite a lot.

Population in Nashville is growing

Another indication that Nashville is a decent place to live is that population in Nashville has been growing substantially over the past decade and will most likely also continue to do so for many years to come.

Decent future outlook for Nashville

Since Nashville is an important economic region and population is growing, the city also has a decent future outlook and will be an attractive place to live for many decades.

People in Nashville are more real than in other major cities

Nashville can also be a great place to move to since people in Nashville are often more real compared to other more shallow cities and it will be easier for you to make really good friends in the long run.

Decent schools and colleges in Nashville

You will also find decent education for you and your kids in Nashville and can make sure that your loved ones get access to decent schools and colleges so that they have good chances to succeed later on in their lives.

Nashville can be a great place to live for every age group

Since there are so many different things to do in Nashville, it is also a great place to live for the young as well as for the old and people of different generations get along with each other pretty well and often even help each other out.

You may never have to move again

Since Nashville provides most things you need to live a happy life, your incentive to move to a different city may be pretty low and in case you move to Nashville as a young person, you may want to stay there even once you get old and retire.

Nashville has an international airport

Nashville also has an international airport and this makes it pretty convenient for you to get around since you can fly to many major destinations of our planet without having to deal with layovers.

Now that you know all the upsides to moving to Nashville, it is time to also talk about all the drawbacks of living in Nashville so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Nashville or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Nashville

  1. Rents in Nashville have been increasing significantly over the past years
  2. Property prices have increased as well
  3. Average person may no longer be able to live the American dream anymore
  4. People may need to work a second job in the future
  5. Locals may have to leave the Nashville region
  6. Overall level of inequality is increasing in Nashville
  7. Social tensions have increased as well
  8. Homelessness has become a serious problem in Nashville
  9. Nashville is not a tenant-friendly place
  10. You will experience cold winters in Nashville
  11. You may not spend as much time outdoors
  12. Not as many exciting events taking place in Nashville
  13. Nashville is not the most glamorous city
  14. Nightlife is not as great as in many other bigger cities
  15. Nashville is not the most popular place to live
  16. Your friends may not visit you in Nashville that often
  17. Nashville is not located at the coast
  18. Nashville becomes increasingly crowded
  19. Nashville may no longer be able to accommodate that many new people
  20. Public transport is not great outside the center
  21. Natural disasters may destroy your home
  22. You will not meet many celebrities in Nashville
  23. You may have to justify moving to Nashville

Rents in Nashville have been increasing significantly over the past years

One problem with living in Nashville is that rents have increased significantly over the past years and due to increasing demand for housing and growing population, this trend will most likely continue in the future and this means that you would have to spend a higher fraction of your disposable income on rent than people in Nashville might do right now.

Property prices have increased as well

Not only rents have been increasing, but also property prices skyrocketed over the past decade and while property prices in Nashville are still lower compared to many other major cities, people have to spend much more money on their mortgages compared to just a few years ago and may get into serious financial trouble sooner or later.

Average person may no longer be able to live the American dream anymore

Since fewer people will be able to afford to buy a home in Nashville just a few years from now, fewer people will be able to live the American dream and an increasing number of people may become frustrated and overall quality of life in this region may drop in general.

People may need to work a second job in the future

Another downside to living in Nashville is that you may also need to work a second job in the future since property prices and rents are increasing significantly and your income will often not increase at the same pace.

In turn, you may no longer have enough time to spend with your family since you may have to work long hours to cover your bills.

Locals may have to leave the Nashville region

Many locals who are barely able to pay their bills right now will also no longer be able to afford to live in Nashville just a few years from now and may have to leave the region which would take away part of the city’s charm and may lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Overall level of inequality is increasing in Nashville

Another disadvantage of living in Nashville is that overall level of inequality is increasing and this is never a good thing since it often leads to serious conflicts and people are in a worse mood in general.

Social tensions have increased as well

Due to the increasing level of inequality, people in Nashville may also no longer be that friendly and social tensions may increase quite a lot.

In turn, the overall atmosphere in the city may suffer and people from different social classes may no longer hang out with each other.

Homelessness has become a serious problem in Nashville

Another problem with moving to Nashville is that you will also have to see many homeless people.

Not only would this be a pretty unpleasant picture, but you may also just not feel safe walking down the streets anymore, especially in districts that already have pretty poor reputation and are known to be dodgy.

Nashville is not a tenant-friendly place

You should also know that Nashville is not the most tenant-friendly place and landlords usually have more than enough room to operate in case they want to increase rents since rent control schemes are pretty lax and you as a tenant may suffer quite a lot in this regard.

You will experience cold winters in Nashville

Another downside to moving to Nashville is that you will also have to deal with pretty strong winters and in case you don’t like the cold but rather want to spend your time in the heat, you should rather move to Houston instead of Nashville.

You may not spend as much time outdoors

Since winters are pretty cold, you may also not spend as much time outdoors as people living in warmer climatic zones and chances are that your fitness level will also suffer due to that in the long run.

Not as many exciting events taking place in Nashville

While Nashville has a lot to offer, there are still not as many exciting events taking place in Nashville compared to other major cities like L.A. or NYC and you may just get bored in this regard sooner or later.

Nashville is not the most glamorous city

You should also know that Nashville is not the most glamorous city and if you want to be at the heart of the universe, you may be disappointed with the overall lifestyle in Nashville.

Nightlife is not as great as in many other bigger cities

Another disadvantage of moving to Nashville is that nightlife is not as great as in many other major cities and even though you will find some decent bars to hang out, you may just miss the nightlife of other bigger and more glamorous cities like NYC.

While Nashville is known all over the US, it is still not as popular as many other major cities and tourists also visit Nashville less frequently and you may therefore have a harder time making friends with people from all over the globe.

Your friends may not visit you in Nashville that often

Since Nashville is not the most popular city, your friends from other states may also not visit you that often and you may lose some of your social connections and may feel lonely from time to time.

Nashville is not located at the coast

Nashville is also not located at the coast and this takes away some opportunities to go surfing or do other water sports and if you love those things, moving to Nashville may not be a good idea for you and you should rather move to Long Beach or other places closer to the coast.

Nashville becomes increasingly crowded

Since population in Nashville has been growing significantly over the past decade, the city has become increasingly crowded and if this trend continues, you may no longer have enough recreational spaces to hang out on your own.

Nashville may no longer be able to accommodate that many new people

Since population in Nashville has been growing rapidly over the past decade, the city may also just no longer be able to accommodate many new people and public infrastructure may become worse or even collapse in the long run.

Public transport is not great outside the center

While public transport is great near the city center, it becomes worse in the outskirts of Nashville and you may therefore rather want to get around by car if you are not able or willing to afford to live in the center.

Natural disasters may destroy your home

If you don’t live in the city center but rather in the suburbs, you will also be at significant risk of losing your home to natural disasters like tornadoes or wildfires sooner or later and should therefore get proper insurance in this regard.

You will not meet many celebrities in Nashville

Since Nashville is not the most popular city, you will also not meet many celebrities and if you want to meet many famous or influential people, you should rather move to a bigger and more prestigious city instead.

You may have to justify moving to Nashville

Since Nashville is not the most popular city, your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Nashville and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Top 10 Moving To Nashville Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Nashville ProsLiving in Nashville Cons
Property prices in Nashville are still lowNightlife is not great in Nashville
Rents are reasonably low as wellCrime rate is above national average
Housing shortage is not a big problem yetNashville is not the most exciting city
People in Nashville are friendly and tolerantIncreasing level of inequality
Decent public transport in NashvilleHomelessness becomes a serious problem
Nashville is a bike-friendly cityNashville becomes increasingly crowded
You can spend lots of time in natureYou will not meet many celebrities in Nashville
You can experience real seasons in NashvilleNashville doesn’t offer world-class education
Nashville has a decent future outlookYou may miss big city life
You can try many different foodsSocial tensions are about to increase

Is Nashville A Good Place To Live?

While unemployment rate is pretty low and you can enjoy the comfort of a big city, you should also know that Nashville has an above-average crime rate and the average income is much lower compared to other major cities in the US.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Nashville carefully so that you can make a profound decision regarding whether you still want to move to Nashville or rather want to live in a different city or not.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Nashville anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Antonio

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Washington D.C.

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Sacramento

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee

https://www.nashville.gov/

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

Pin It on Pinterest