17 Reasons Not to Move to Nashville, Tennessee (Voted by the Locals!)

Nashville, Tennessee is an extremely well-known place that is known for its country music and music stars that grew up or found their big break there. However, it is not a perfect city, and there is more to the city than the music featured in the area. Here are some of the reasons why you may want to reconsider moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

1. Traffic

The traffic in Nashville, Tennessee is absolutely awful all of the time. Forget about rush hour, as the traffic that you would expect during rush hour can be seen nearly all day. You will have to leave your home extra early every time you want to get somewhere on time, as you never know what traffic will be like, but you will know that it will take you longer to get to your next location than you expected because of it.

The traffic is the thing that most people complain about the most or at least mention when talking about why you shouldn’t move to Nashville, Tennessee.

One of the reasons why traffic is so bad is that as people have moved to the area, the roads and highways have not been expanded, so they aren’t meant to have so many people drive on them. This leads to extremely congested roadways and angry or frustrated drivers.

2. Schools

The public schools in Nashville, Tennessee are not very good, which is odd because they used to be great. However, over time test scores have decreased and teachers have become more overwhelmed. Private schools in Nashville are fantastic, but most families can’t afford to enroll their children in private schools, and there are only so many private schools in Nashville.

One of the reasons why Nashville, Tennessee public schools are so bad is likely because it spends so little on every student per year. The state of Tennessee only spends about $11,139 on every student, which is extremely low when compared to the spending per student of other states. In fact, Tennessee was ranked 44 out of 51 states when it came to per-student spending in 2021. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

Also, because many people move to Nashville every year, teachers and school districts are struggling to keep up with the increase in students. As the case usually is with schooling, there is also a lack of funding. Luckily, the local government seems to be working on increasing funding for public schools, so student test scores may increase in the next few years. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

3. Crime

Crime is a massive issue in Nashville, Tennessee, as it has one of the highest crime rates in the United States. Almost 8,000 violent crimes happen in Nashville every year, and about 27,800 property crimes are committed in the area every year. Nashville, Tennessee has a crime index of 3 out of 100, which means the city is incredibly dangerous. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

About 673 out of 100,000 people will experience some sort of crime in Nashville, Tennessee. The crime rate is expected to increase next year, which doesn’t mean good things for people that want to avoid being robbed or harmed by another person. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

4. Cost of Living

The cost of living is incredibly high in Nashville, Tennessee. For an apartmentOpens in a new tab., especially in downtown Nashville, the average price is $1,700 per month. That cost often doesn’t include utilities. For a home, the average cost is about $262,000-$375,000, but the price can easily increase, especially if you are looking for a home in a well-known neighborhood. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

There isn’t a lot of available housing in Nashville, Tennessee because so many people have already moved there and because of how many Air BnBs there are. Some people purchase a home, just to turn it into an Air BnB for most of the year. Because of the lack of housing, home and apartment prices are increasing steadily, and they aren’t expected to drop anytime soon.

5. Homelessness

Homelessness is a massive problem in Nashville, Tennessee, especially in downtown Nashville, where many homeless people can be found begging for money or work. There are about 20,000 homeless people in Nashville, and there aren’t very many homeless shelters or areas that they can go to for aid. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

6. Tourists

Millions of tourists visit Nashville, Tennessee every year. In fact, about 16.1 million tourists visited Nashville in 2019. Almost every year, the number of tourists that visit the area increases. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

If you enjoy avoiding tourists and find them annoying, especially because their cars increase the amount of traffic in the area and they have no idea where they are going, Nashville is not a place that you should move to.

7. High Population

Nashville, Tennessee has an incredibly high populationOpens in a new tab. of about 692,587 people, and that number is steadily increasing every year because people keep moving there. This has made many areas incredibly crowded and increased the cost of houses and apartments.

Although many people visit Nashville, Tennessee every year, many people decide to move there in the future or simply stay there long-term.

8. People

Although most of the time people in Nashville, Tennessee are incredibly friendly, you need to make sure you don’t forget to use your manners when you are out and about in the city. If you don’t open the door for a stranger, apologize when you accidentally bump into someone or are constantly on your phone as you walk, you may get some offending looks and glares from strangers. People expect you to be polite and courteous while in Nashville, and there are no excuses for rude behavior in the city.

If you prefer not interacting with strangers, as it is likely that a stranger will start a conversation with you while you are in Nashville, it may be best for you to avoid moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

9. Weather

The weather is often unpredictable in Nashville, Tennessee. One minute, it is raining cats and dogs, and the next thing you know, the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. You may even think that the rain was a product of your imagination, but you can still see raindrops on the cars nearby.

During the fall and spring, the weather is relatively mild. During the winter, it doesn’t often snow. However, there are hailstorms during winter and spring. However, during the summer, get ready to suffer.

During the summer it feels incredibly hot, partially because of the high humidity. Even if you don’t have air conditioning in your home, you will want to stay indoors with the windows closed so you don’t feel like you are breathing in water.

Also, during the summer there are often rainstorms and thunderstorms. That doesn’t even include the natural disasters that occur every year.

10. Natural Disasters

There are often natural disasters in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the most tornado-prone cities in the United States. However, tornadoesOpens in a new tab. are not the only natural disasters that often occur in Nashville.

Natural Disasters that Often Occur in Nashville, Tennessee:

  • Floods
  • Wildfires
  • Tropical Storms
  • Landslides
  • Earthquakes

If you enjoy not paying for flooding or tornado insurance, don’t move to Nashville. You will end up losing many things, possibly even your home, and have to pay a large amount of money to get it back or rebuild your home.

11. Allergies

Nashville, Tennessee is sometimes called the “allergy bowl” because of how much people with allergies that live in the city suffer. In 2006, Nashville was rated 29 out of 100 cities by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which means people with allergies struggled severely while living in the area. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

Luckily, the pollen count seems to be getting better, but that will likely change again in the next few years. In 2022, the same report rated Nashville 60 out of 100 cities by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which means the pollen count is going down and allergy sufferers are breathing easier. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

12. Lack of Public Transportation

If you move to Nashville, Tennessee, you will need to either bring a car or purchase one when you get to the city. There is almost no public transportation in Nashville, and the city is incredibly spread out, so you can’t really walk to places like the grocery store or your favorite gym. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

Even if you want to avoid driving in traffic, because of the lack of transport you have no choice but to sit in and drive in it. You could potentially carpool with your friends or roommates (if you have a roommate) or pay for a ride through a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, but friends and roommates aren’t always available or willing to drive you places, and rideshare apps get expensive quickly.

13. Street Artists

There are hundreds of street artists that perform in Nashville, Tennessee, especially in the downtown area and near local bars and restaurants. Aside from the musicians playing on the street, there are also people that are trying to sell you their music or products. Everyone is trying to get your money, even if you don’t want to purchase what they are selling or listen to their music long enough to determine if you want to hear more of it or not.

If you move to Nashville, you may feel bad for the street artists and give them a lot of your money, even if you can’t afford to do so.

14. Lack of Sidewalks

There is an extremely noticeable lack of sidewalks in Nashville, Tennessee. The lack of sidewalks is even seen in residential areas, where you would expect a lot of sidewalks to be. This makes having a car while living in Nashville even more necessary, as it is often not safe to walk to where you want to go.

Because of the lack of sidewalks, many people do not let their children walk by themselves, as it is dangerous to walk on the side of the road. If you enjoy walking, running, or letting your children go on walks regularly but want to stay safe and walk on sidewalks, you do not want to move to Nashville, Tennessee.

15. Country Music

Nashville, Tennessee is known for its country music and the number of music producers located in the area. However, if you don’t enjoy listening to country music or only like to listen to really good country music, you really don’t want to move to Nashville. You won’t be able to walk on the street or go to local bars without hearing some form of country music.

Not all people that sing country music in Nashville are good at it. You will hear a lot of bad country music sung by bad singers and played by horrible musicians. You may find a gem or two, but they will quickly be taken away by a music producer or move on to a different bar or performance location so they can improve their art and make money.

If you enjoy listening to most country music and don’t mind listening to those that think they have the voice for the genre but don’t you may enjoy living in Nashville. However, it will likely quickly wear on you and you will practically beg to listen to or for the band to play a different music genre.

16. Bugs

Many bugs run rampant in Nashville, Tennessee, including silverfish, firebrats, earwigs, and springtails. However, they are not the only pesky bugs you will have to deal with if you choose to move to Nashville. You will also have to deal with mosquitoes. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

Mosquitoes run rampant in Nashville, and you will have to do many things to try and avoid them. In recent years, the mosquito population in the area has reduced, but in 2022, Orkin ranked Nashville, Tennessee the 25th most mosquito-infested city in the United States. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

17. High Sales Tax

There is a high sales tax in Nashville, Tennessee, and people often complain about it, even though there is no income tax in the state. (SourceOpens in a new tab.)

Nashville has a sales tax of 9.25%Opens in a new tab., although that varies slightly depending on where you are purchasing products. In comparison, most states have a sales tax of 6%-7%, about 2.5% less than Nashville.

Overall, there are many reasons why you may want to reconsider moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

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Nathan Aydelotte

Hello! I'm Nathan, the lead editor for Suggested by locals. I grew up in the Boise, Idaho area and have lived here most of my life. I enjoy being close to the mountains where I can go hiking, camping, and mountain biking.

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