Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in Nashville, TN
4 neighborhoods with growth potential — still affordable, increasingly walkable, and showing improving conditions. Ranked by affordability, walkability, employment, safety, and air quality.
Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in Nashville, TN — Key Takeaways
Nashville has 4 neighborhoods showing growth potential. The most affordable up-and-coming area is East Nashville with a median home value of $425,000. The most walkable is East Nashville with a Walk Score of 92/100. The strongest job market is in East Nashville with an unemployment rate of 2.8%.
Nashville has a population of 689,447, a median household income of $59,828, an unemployment rate of 2.8%. The median home value citywide is $365,000, which is 29% above the national average of $281,900.
Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.
Top 3 Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods
| # | Neighborhood | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Nashville | 51 | ||
| 12 South | 48 | ||
| The Gulch | 47 | ||
4 | Germantown Nashville | 43 |
Rankings by Category
Top 5 up-and-coming neighborhoods in Nashville for each growth-potential metric.
Lowest median home value
- $425,000
- $475,000
- $550,000
- $650,000
Highest Walk Score
- 92/100
- 82/100
- 77/100
- 61/100
Lowest unemployment rate
- 2.8%
- 2.8%
- 2.8%
- 2.8%
Lowest violent crime rate
- 6.7 per 1K
- 6.7 per 1K
- 6.7 per 1K
- 6.7 per 1K
Lowest Air Quality Index
- AQI 51
- AQI 51
- AQI 51
- AQI 51
Lowest median rent
- $1,614
- $1,790
- $1,862
- $1,945
Highest median household income
- $120,726
- $100,676
- $76,652
- $59,606
Up-and-coming neighborhoods are identified using a Growth Potential Score that evaluates five weighted categories. These areas are still affordable relative to the city average but show strong fundamentals that suggest improving conditions and future appreciation.
- Affordability vs City Average
- 30% weight
- Walkability & Transit
- 25% weight
- Job Market (Unemployment)
- 20% weight
- Safety
- 15% weight
- Environment (Air Quality)
- 10% weight
Neighborhoods that are priced below the city median home value score higher on affordability. Walkability reflects the Walk Score, indicating access to amenities on foot. A low unemployment rate signals a strong local economy. Safety is measured by violent crime rates per 1,000 residents. Air quality uses the EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), where lower values indicate cleaner air.
Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.