While you may know the region or state in the U.S. you’re set on calling home next, you likely still have decisions to make when it comes to which city or metro area will be the right fit. If Tennessee is your place, you have no shortage of industrial cities, nearby suburbs and small towns to choose from in the long, thin, southern state that spans two time zones.
You may have called Tennessee home since birth or simply like the idea of being able to choose from the mountain, hill or plain landscapes that make up the state. Either way, your experience can vary widely based on where in the state you put down roots.
Of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S., Tennessee is home to four. We’ve compiled the details from the Best Places to Live in the U.S. ranking — based on information about the local job market, cost of living, access to health care and desirability, among other factors — to help you determine which major Tennessee metro area is the right fit for you.
[See: Your Moving Checklist: Don’t Let These Details Slip Through the Cracks.]
Here are the best places to live in Tennessee:
4. Memphis
Best Places to Live 2018 Rank: 117
Metro Population: 1,341,339
Median Home Value: $142,908
Median Annual Salary: $42,940
The second-most populous metro area in Tennessee, Memphis ranks No. 117 out of the 125 metro areas on the overall Best Places to Live list. Memphis area residents spend less than 30 percent of the median annual household income on housing costs, including rent and mortgage payments, utility costs and property taxes. However, property and violent crime rates in the area are above the national average, and a low average college readiness score among high school students — based on data from the U.S. News’ Best High Schools ranking — contribute to Memphis ranking second to last in the Quality of Life rating after San Juan, Puerto Rico. Additionally, the Memphis area’s population is slowly shrinking, with the population declining by 1.78 percent based on net migration between 2012 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
[Read: Your Guide to the Housing Market.]
3. Chattanooga
Best Places to Live 2018 Rank: 72
Metro Population: 544,522
Median Home Value: $154,650
Median Annual Salary: $41,940
Just north of the state’s border with Georgia, Chattanooga is smallest of the four Tennessee metro areas on the Best Places to Live list and ranks No. 72 overall. Population growth is a significant factor for Chattanooga ranking ahead of Memphis, with Chattanooga growing by a modest 2.73 percent due to net migration between 2012 and 2016. While the median annual salary, at $41,940, is below the national average of $49,630, area residents benefit from a particularly low cost of living, spending just 26.9 percent of the median annual household income on housing expenses.
2. Knoxville
Best Places to Live 2018 Rank: 64
Metro Population: 857,111
Median Home Value: $156,325
Median Annual Salary: $42,540
Knoxville ranks No. 64 out of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S., with a cost of living that’s slightly higher than in Chattanooga. Knoxville residents spend 27.28 percent of the median annual household income on housing costs. Knoxville also benefits from a more active job market: Its unemployment rate is just 3.6 percent, while Memphis and Chattanooga have unemployment rates of at least 4 percent. Knoxville residents also benefit from an average morning commute of just 23.4 minutes.
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1. Nashville
Best Places to Live 2018 Rank: 11
Metro Population: 1,794,570
Median Home Value: $236,267
Median Annual Salary: $45,780
The most populous metro area in Tennessee is also the most widely visited, particularly because it’s considered the capital of country music. Nashville ranks No. 11 on the overall Best Places to Live list, thanks to its growth due to net migration, desirability and affordability. Between 2012 and 2016, the Nashville area grew by 6.7 percent due to net migration alone. Additionally, Nashville residents spend just 26.51 percent of the median household income on housing costs. The area also ranks 11th for desirability out of the 125 places on the list, based on a Google Consumer Survey of 2,000 U.S. residents.
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The Best Places to Live in Tennessee originally appeared on usnews.com
