Moving to Smyrna, Tennessee – Download free Relocation Guide for 2021

Living in Nashville, TN: What to Know Before Moving to Nashville

Pros and Cons of Living in Smyrna, Tennessee

Is Nashville a Nice Place to Live?

Tax Rates

Housing Market

Cost of Living

Weather & Natural Disasters

Economy & Job Market

Traffic and Transportation

What to Do

Schools and Universities

Crime

Utility Providers

No matter what brings you to Nashville – the music scene, work, or the affordable housing choices, a move to the Tennessee capital is sure to be a good one. World-famous for country music, civil war history, and beautiful rolling hills, this southern boomtown has something for everyone. Nashville is a unique city filled with Southern charm, top-notch entertainment, and deep-rooted history.

From traditional barbeque to antebellum plantation houses, the culinary and visual feasts around town are rivaled only by the proliferation of live music. The surrounding gorges, lakes, forests, and rivers satisfy those with a hankering for the outdoors, and the picturesque backroads radiating out from the city make day trips a scenic smorgasbord. Whether you’re a city dweller or a country-lover, Nashville can give you exactly what you need.

You’ll see that Nashville lives up to the hype. It’s no wonder so many people are planning their move to this southern city. To get started, click on the “Get Quote” button and we’ll quickly send you up to four free quotes from our trusted professional Nashville movers.

Living in Nashville, TN: What to Know Before Moving to Nashville

Nashville, the capital of Tennessee,  is home to 669,053 people. Once the home of President Andrew Jackson, the city earned the title ‘Athens of the South’ for its full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon, built in Centennial Park in 1897. To this day, the city is a hub of history, higher learning, and culture.

Owing to an unusual combination of climate, geography, and economics, Nashville has seen tremendous growth over the past couple of decades – rendering it rich in ethnic diversity and brimming with exceptional food and culture. With a booming job market, rich historical background, and gorgeous natural resources, there’s no question why people keep choosing Nashville as their home base.

Pros and Cons of Living in Smyrna, Tennessee

Pros:

  • Weather – I love that we get to experience all 4 seasons in Middle Tennessee.

  • Great jobs – there are several industries represented in Middle Tennessee. Nissan is located in Smyrna and is the top employer in the area.

  • Great schools – We have great schools with ratings of 7 and above. We also have a community college – Motlow Community College.

  • Entertainment – Smyrna is centrally located between Murfreesboro (11 miles) and Nashville (18 miles). Smyrna has a skating rink, couple of bowling centers, movie theater, golf course, tons of parks to choose from and lots of shopping. If you run out of fun things to do in Smyrna, you are just a few minutes away from 2 big cities with even more entertainment.

  • Family oriented – I love living in my Smyrna because it has a small hometown feel. People are always around walking their dogs and will either wave to you or flash a friendly smile.

Cons:

    • Traffic – for the past few years Middle Tennessee and surrounding areas have seen a huge growth of around 20% in the number of people relocating to the area. As a result, of people that have been relocated into this area so as a result traffic has increased tremendously

    • Bugs – Every other year it seems there is a new bug that drives everyone crazy.

    • Allergies – allergy season can be brutal. Pollen count gets very high. So if you have allergies, you might want to think twice about moving to Smyrna.

    • Weather – it can be a bit bi-polar. We have also had natural disasters such as floods, storms, and tornadoes.

Is Nashville a Nice Place to Live?

Nashville is one of the best places to live, with top-rated public schools, mouth-watering culinary options, and affordable costs, which mean high-quality living even for those with moderate incomes. But what really sets Nashville apart is its music scene: live music across all genres can be heard throughout the city every day. The city is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and has the largest number of recording studios in America after Los Angeles and New York. It’s been said that if you can’t find anything to do in Music City, then you’re probably not looking hard enough!

Tax Rates

  • Property Tax: Homeowners are in for a sweet surprise when it’s time to pony up their annual property taxes. Nashville residents pay a low 1% of assessed home value in property taxes. Property tax is 25% higher than the state average, but over 20% below the national average.

  • Sales Tax: For anyone celebrating the low property tax rates, sorry to rain on your parade, but the combined sales tax rate in Nashville is now one of the highest in the country at 9.46% This could have increased an entire percentage point higher had a Nashville transit bill passed in 2018, so count your lucky stars that it didn’t.

  • Income Tax: The good news for the vast majority of folks living in Nashville is that there is no income tax in the state of Tennessee. There is, however, a 6% tax on income from interest and dividends. Ultimately, this makes Tennessee a very good deal for the majority of residents who rely on salaries and wages for their income.

Housing Market

The Nashville homeownership rate is just shy of 60% and the median home value, as of July 2019, is $255,500. And housing stocks are up, making Nashville an inviting city for prospective homebuyers. Unfortunately, this contributes to rising rental rates, with the median rate at $1,587 – about $200 more than the national average.

While these numbers are still affordable, the price of homes and rental rates are steadily rising each year. Nevertheless, there are many options for families and singles alike in all areas of town. Despite rising housing costs, you can still find good deals in The Nations, Sylvan Park, East Nashville, Wedgewood-Houston, and Germantown.

Cost of Living

Using a scale of 100 as the national average, the cost of living in Nashville is slightly higher at 110/100. Food and groceries are cheaper than average at 90/100, but utility costs are equivalent to the national average. You can expect to pay a bit more for healthcare and transportation, but less for miscellaneous items.

Housing is the biggest contributor to living costs, at 134/100. Based on Economic Policy Institute calculations, a Nashville family of four will need to make $6,602 per month or $79,228 per year to get by reasonably well.

Weather & Natural Disasters

Nashville’s climate provides an opportunity for year-round outdoor activities and high quality of life for residents. Of the area’s four seasons, summer can be challenging. July and August are the hottest months, with average highs around 89 degrees F and high humidity. Nevertheless, even in the dog days of summer, you can expect average lows between 68 and 69. December and January are the coldest months, with lows bottoming out between 28 and 31 degrees and rather manageable 47 to 49-degree highs.

Music City receives about 48 inches of rainfall each year, with the majority of rainy days occurring in May, November, and December. Snow is pretty rare around these parts, but when it comes, it’s usually with a light dusting in December followed by a bit more in January and February.

Nashville is fairly low-risk for natural disasters, with the primary dangers being tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, winter storms, and flash floods. The city has a large number of tornado warning sirens, and the Nashville Office of Emergencies has a website that details risks and preparedness, offering a guide on how to be ready for any disaster that could strike.

Economy & Job Market

Nashville has been lauded for its vibrant economy, ranked the strongest metropolitan area economy in the US this year, beating out Austin, TX and Seattle, WA. As of Spring, 2019, unemployment was at 3.2%, marking a record low. Boasting several thriving industries, the long-term projections for the city are rosy. The large number of universities that call Nashville home generate jobs and graduates to meet local hiring demands. The tourism and hospitality industries are booming due to a constant influx of tourists, adding another dimension to the economy. These intensely diversified income sources make for secure long-term prospects.

Education and Health Services make up almost 25% of the Nashville job sector, which includes Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Saint Thomas Health, Community Health Systems, and Tennessee State University. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities account for over 17% of local industry and include BellSouth, AT&T, Nissan Motor Manufacturing, Ozburn-Hessley Logistics, Star Transportation Inc, and Verizon Wireless.

Professional & Business Services and Leisure & Hospitality each account for a quarter of Nashville industries. Notable employers in these sectors include Big Idea Inc, Century II Staffing Inc, National Federation of Independent Business, ServiceSource, Randstad, and Asurion.

Meanwhile, news that Amazon will be building a hub in Nashville means thousands more retail/tech jobs will be coming down the pipeline in coming years.

Job seekers should look for jobs in higher education, healthcare, tech, and hospitality. Nashville job seekers would be well advised to check out online job postings at the Tennessean, nashvillejobpost.com, or find a recruiter if you’re seeking a high-level position. The bottom line is that there are any number of jobs available for motivated applicants

Traffic and Transportation

Like any city that experiences rapid growth in a short period, Nashville has notoriously bad rush hour traffic. And with the city still under expansion and construction, major delays can happen any time of day. Beware the dreaded intersection of Interstates 65, 40, and 24 at the Cumberland River, which simultaneously creates three of the worst bottlenecks in the nation. The best thing you can do is to avoid rush hour if possible and learn which surface streets allow you to bypass particularly bad traffic.

Nashville has a limited light rail system, and a fairly extensive bus system, known as WeGo Public Transit. The main problem with the bus is that when traffic is slow, the bus is too, though it may be more pleasant not to be stuck in the driver’s seat through stop-and-go traffic. More than a dozen park and ride options allow commuters to drive to a convenient spot and catch a bus downtown without having to contend with expensive, limited parking.

Nashville is a car-dependent city, evidenced by its walk score of 28/100, bike score of 25/100, and transit score of 24/100. With a lack of bike lanes, it’s difficult for cyclists to commute safely. But if you want to be car-free, living in East End, Wedgewood-Houston or Downtown will be your best choices. To minimize the dependence on daily driving, do your homework and find a place to live that’s not too far from your work, or that’s near a bus or light rail route.

What to Do

From live music and bars to art, culture, and history, Nashville is a font of activity. With over 12,000 acres of green space, outdoor enthusiasts can always find a place to escape the crowds in the 108 parks and 19 greenways. For parents seeking fun diversions, the city dishes up ample no-cost opportunities to learn and experience music, art, and culture.

Within the city limits, parks grace the city’s every corner. Centennial Park is smack dab in the middle of West End and is home to the stunning replica of the Parthenon. On Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., a free educational program, Kidsville, invites kids into the Parthenon. Along the east side of the river, Cumberland Park offers an outdoor amphitheater, a climbing wall, and an ample playground for kids to enjoy – a perfect place to chill out by the river. Radnor Lake is an amazing place to get away from it all – right inside the city. With plenty of hiking and walking trails, be prepared to spot beavers, birds, deer, and more inside this peaceful 1,200-acre urban preserve.

If your interests include live music and entertainment, a visit to the Grand Ole Opry in the Ryman Auditorium is in order. Across the street, you’ll find Tootsies Orchid Lounge, a historic honky-tonk serving up good times and great music history. A visit to the Historic RCA Studio B is a stroll through country music history, and the Musicians Hall of Fame Museum is an amazing place to experience interactive exhibits featuring instruments and memorabilia of famous recording artists.

Sports lovers have much to celebrate in Nashville. The Nashville Predators have been members of the National Hockey League since 1998, and they play home games at Bridgestone Arena. They can also be spotted practicing at the Centennial Sportsplex near downtown. The National Football League Tennessee Titans began as the Houston Oilers but made the transition to Nashville in 1997. They play at Nissan Stadium and train at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Baseball fans will be happy to visit First Tennessee Park, where Nashville’s Minor League Baseball team, the Sounds, have been playing home games since 2015. And soccer fans should be pleased to know that as of 2018, the Nashville Soccer Club made their debut in the United Soccer League.

Lovers of spirits and food will have a field day sipping some genuine Tennessee whiskey at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery or sitting down to a soul food lunch at Woolworth’s on 5th. Enjoy any of the excellent craft breweries in Nashville, but don’t miss out on Tennessee Brew Works, which manages to offer food, brews, and atmosphere in unforgettable style. Check out Arrington Vineyards every weekend from April to October for some locally-aged wines and free jazz and bluegrass al fresco.

Schools and Universities

Metro Nashville Public Schools serves 88,000 students in 167 schools. The schools in Nashville offer a mix of traditional, magnet, and charter options, as well as several smaller, private institutions. To get a better feel for the rankings of schools in various areas, you may want to look at greatschools.org. Overall, Tennessee is improving its public schools and had its all-time highest graduation rate of 89% in the 2017/18 school year.

The Nashville area is home to several four-year institutions including Belmont University, Fisk University, Lipscomb University, Meharry Medical College, Nashville School of Law, Tennessee State University, and Vanderbilt University. There are also several two-year institutions such as Daymar College, Nashville Auto Diesel College, Nashville State Community College, and Welch College.

Crime

One thing Nashville does not have going for it is a low crime rate. At a shocking 81% above the national average, the city has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Violent crimes are nearly 200% of the national average, and property crimes are 62% higher. While there are pockets of the city with considerably higher crime rates than others (Bakertown, Buena Vista Heights, Cumberland Gardens), the bottom line is that living in Nashville increases your chances of being a victim of a crime to around one in 19.

Utility Providers

Nashville residents rely on several providers for their utilities:

 

 

What to Know Before Moving to Smyrna, Tennessee

 

What to Know Before Moving to Smyrna, Tennessee

 

What to Know Before Moving to Smyrna, Tennessee

 

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