Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Tennessee a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Tennessee.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Volunteer State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Tennessee, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 94 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Tennessee For 2024
Williamson County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Tennessee. And you should avoid Lake County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Tennessee. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Tennessee and the cheapest places to live in Tennessee.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Tennessee For 2024
1. Williamson County
Biggest Place: Franklin
Population: 248,897
Median Income: $125,943 (best)
Median Home Price: $843,617 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (2nd best)
More on Williamson County: Data
2. Wilson County
Biggest Place: Lebanon
Population: 149,096
Median Income: $89,462 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $471,192 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (16th best)
More on Wilson County: Data
3. Sumner County
Biggest Place: Hendersonville
Population: 196,845
Median Income: $81,883 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $415,821 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (11th best)
More on Sumner County: Data
4. Maury County
Biggest Place: Spring Hill
Population: 102,002
Median Income: $71,500 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $377,922 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (3rd best)
More on Maury County: Data
5. Loudon County
Biggest Place: Farragut
Population: 55,507
Median Income: $75,008 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $397,399 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (5th best)
More on Loudon County: Data
6. Rutherford County
Biggest Place: Murfreesboro
Population: 343,727
Median Income: $78,291 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $390,345 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (23rd best)
More on Rutherford County: Data
7. Knox County
Biggest Place: Knoxville
Population: 481,406
Median Income: $68,580 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $345,550 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (2best)
More on Knox County: Data
8. Fayette County
Biggest Place: Collierville
Population: 42,228
Median Income: $81,074 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $352,853 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (48th best)
More on Fayette County: Data
9. Blount County
Biggest Place: Maryville
Population: 135,951
Median Income: $70,935 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $357,922 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (27th best)
More on Blount County: Data
10. Robertson County
Biggest Place: Springfield
Population: 73,297
Median Income: $74,440 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $351,892 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (20th best)
More on Robertson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Tennessee county is the best?
To give you the best county in Tennessee, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Tennessee across each of the criteria from one to 94, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Tennessee.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Volunteer State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Tennessee.
Read on to see why Williamson County is the best county, while Lake County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Tennessee.
Summary: The Best Counties In Tennessee To Call Home For 2024
Living in Tennessee can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Tennessee are Williamson County, Wilson County, Sumner County, Maury County, Loudon County, Rutherford County, Knox County, Fayette County, Blount County, and Robertson County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Tennessee according to the data:
- Lake County
- Hancock County
- Scott County
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- Richest Cities In Tennessee
- Best Places To Buy A House In Tennessee
- Best Counties To Live In Tennessee
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Tennessee
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamson County | 248,897 | $125,943 | $843,617 |
| 2 | Wilson County | 149,096 | $89,462 | $471,192 |
| 3 | Sumner County | 196,845 | $81,883 | $415,821 |
| 4 | Maury County | 102,002 | $71,500 | $377,922 |
| 5 | Loudon County | 55,507 | $75,008 | $397,399 |
| 6 | Rutherford County | 343,727 | $78,291 | $390,345 |
| 7 | Knox County | 481,406 | $68,580 | $345,550 |
| 8 | Fayette County | 42,228 | $81,074 | $352,853 |
| 9 | Blount County | 135,951 | $70,935 | $357,922 |
| 10 | Robertson County | 73,297 | $74,440 | $351,892 |
| 11 | Cheatham County | 41,184 | $77,014 | $369,787 |
| 12 | Trousdale County | 11,596 | $62,018 | $317,339 |
| 13 | Hamilton County | 367,193 | $69,069 | $322,383 |
| 14 | Franklin County | 42,980 | $57,933 | $286,695 |
| 15 | Dickson County | 54,563 | $68,492 | $334,599 |
| 16 | Roane County | 53,777 | $66,460 | $269,798 |
| 17 | Montgomery County | 222,305 | $67,890 | $299,138 |
| 18 | Lincoln County | 35,365 | $61,374 | $235,271 |
| 19 | Tipton County | 61,116 | $70,674 | $251,186 |
| 20 | Marshall County | 34,567 | $65,325 | $310,420 |
| 21 | Davidson County | 709,786 | $71,863 | $427,685 |
| 22 | Smith County | 20,034 | $57,677 | $286,879 |
| 23 | Jefferson County | 55,017 | $60,393 | $301,173 |
| 24 | Cumberland County | 61,552 | $56,002 | $288,252 |
| 25 | Sevier County | 98,455 | $60,103 | $413,349 |
| 26 | Washington County | 133,282 | $58,507 | $276,791 |
| 27 | Giles County | 30,317 | $56,877 | $240,231 |
| 28 | Anderson County | 77,337 | $60,633 | $276,849 |
| 29 | Stewart County | 13,724 | $57,257 | $225,386 |
| 30 | Cannon County | 14,481 | $57,651 | $288,721 |
| 31 | Putnam County | 80,157 | $54,371 | $287,877 |
| 32 | Bradley County | 108,859 | $60,692 | $284,411 |
| 33 | Coffee County | 58,080 | $57,424 | $279,326 |
| 34 | Bedford County | 50,533 | $59,955 | $302,977 |
| 35 | Sullivan County | 158,722 | $54,357 | $231,095 |
| 36 | Mcminn County | 53,532 | $57,982 | $230,276 |
| 37 | Hickman County | 24,996 | $54,669 | $142,829 |
| 38 | Dyer County | 36,818 | $53,150 | $151,177 |
| 39 | Overton County | 22,576 | $46,580 | $225,057 |
| 40 | Union County | 19,860 | $57,094 | $272,131 |
| 41 | Unicoi County | 17,845 | $49,855 | $215,800 |
| 42 | Marion County | 28,852 | $58,139 | $223,114 |
| 43 | Gibson County | 50,455 | $55,455 | $160,031 |
| 44 | Humphreys County | 19,032 | $54,185 | $221,849 |
| 45 | Greene County | 70,399 | $51,975 | $212,468 |
| 46 | Houston County | 8,253 | $51,544 | $198,449 |
| 47 | Macon County | 25,365 | $51,215 | $240,383 |
| 48 | Crockett County | 13,955 | $59,136 | $162,510 |
| 49 | Madison County | 98,644 | $55,280 | $216,726 |
| 50 | Carroll County | 28,381 | $49,700 | $156,776 |
| 51 | Obion County | 30,670 | $50,638 | $140,819 |
| 52 | Shelby County | 926,440 | $59,621 | $216,182 |
| 53 | Monroe County | 46,489 | $52,123 | $258,088 |
| 54 | Meigs County | 12,839 | $59,434 | $257,399 |
| 55 | Warren County | 41,163 | $52,948 | $232,891 |
| 56 | Sequatchie County | 16,065 | $53,038 | $237,186 |
| 57 | Rhea County | 33,031 | $55,568 | $230,511 |
| 58 | Hawkins County | 57,107 | $53,647 | $217,613 |
| 59 | Henry County | 32,305 | $48,025 | $186,360 |
| 60 | Pickett County | 5,042 | $44,317 | $201,071 |
| 61 | Fentress County | 18,642 | $47,884 | $212,742 |
| 62 | Chester County | 17,392 | $57,471 | $154,214 |
| 63 | Weakley County | 32,946 | $47,769 | $163,621 |
| 64 | Dekalb County | 20,209 | $46,907 | $244,392 |
| 65 | Polk County | 17,620 | $53,775 | $217,604 |
| 66 | Henderson County | 27,845 | $51,576 | $186,382 |
| 67 | Hamblen County | 64,531 | $49,656 | $234,087 |
| 68 | Hardin County | 26,824 | $46,902 | $185,268 |
| 69 | Grainger County | 23,648 | $47,098 | $242,318 |
| 70 | White County | 27,420 | $48,220 | $242,504 |
| 71 | Mcnairy County | 25,895 | $46,920 | $155,271 |
| 72 | Lawrence County | 44,377 | $51,038 | $222,580 |
| 73 | Clay County | 7,592 | $39,572 | $187,243 |
| 74 | Campbell County | 39,397 | $48,258 | $220,164 |
| 75 | Lewis County | 12,637 | $44,613 | $219,966 |
| 76 | Claiborne County | 32,092 | $42,406 | $204,261 |
| 77 | Benton County | 15,933 | $47,737 | $165,938 |
| 78 | Johnson County | 17,982 | $47,571 | $207,031 |
| 79 | Carter County | 56,315 | $47,994 | $212,098 |
| 80 | Decatur County | 11,483 | $48,466 | $148,968 |
| 81 | Wayne County | 16,325 | $49,360 | $168,802 |
| 82 | Van Buren County | 6,182 | $44,730 | $190,901 |
| 83 | Perry County | 8,432 | $55,978 | $157,271 |
| 84 | Jackson County | 11,730 | $42,357 | $212,057 |
| 85 | Cocke County | 36,186 | $45,110 | $210,155 |
| 86 | Morgan County | 21,124 | $51,971 | $192,937 |
| 87 | Lauderdale County | 25,171 | $46,702 | $132,731 |
| 88 | Hardeman County | 25,519 | $43,566 | $143,849 |
| 89 | Grundy County | 13,550 | $47,948 | $179,348 |
| 90 | Bledsoe County | 14,816 | $51,783 | $213,678 |
| 91 | Haywood County | 17,806 | $44,890 | $154,241 |
| 92 | Scott County | 21,917 | $39,744 | $161,848 |
| 93 | Hancock County | 6,726 | $31,809 | $164,774 |
| 94 | Lake County | 6,898 | $32,064 | $87,204 |