Quality of Life in Brentwood, TN
A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
Cost of Living
160% above national average
The Real Cost of Living in Brentwood, TN for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $40k | $75k |
| Comfortable | $180k | $265k |
| Luxury | $334k+ | $517k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $427k+ | $662k+ |
70%
The Area Signal
A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.
Hobbies
Explore the areaGroceries
4 within 10 miles
Gas
0 within 10 miles
Hospital
3 within 20 miles
Airport
BNA — Nashville International
Post Office
USPS — Nashville, TN
Critical Amenities
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Brentwood, Tennessee, is one of the most affluent suburbs in the southeastern United States, with a cost of living index of 260—more than two and a half times the national average. The city attracts a concentrated population of corporate executives, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs drawn by top-ranked public schools, low crime rates, and proximity to Nashville’s job market. With a median household income well above $150,000, Brentwood’s demographic skews heavily toward high-earning families and empty-nesters seeking a quiet, amenity-rich environment without sacrificing urban access.
Cost of living, housing prices, and affordability compared to Nashville
Brentwood’s cost of living is driven almost entirely by housing: the median home value sits at $926,700, roughly triple the national median and about 40% higher than Nashville’s metro average. Renters face a median monthly rent of $2,497, which is significantly above the Nashville-area median of roughly $1,800. While these figures place Brentwood among the priciest suburbs in Tennessee, they remain below comparable affluent enclaves in the Northeast or West Coast—for example, a similar home in Palo Alto or Greenwich would cost two to three times more. Property taxes are relatively moderate for the price point, with effective rates around 0.6% of assessed value, and Tennessee has no state income tax, which offsets some of the housing premium for high earners. The average one-way commute of 25.8 minutes is slightly longer than the national average but shorter than many Nashville suburbs, thanks to direct access to I-65 and Franklin Road.
Schools, amenities, and what daily life is like for families
Daily life in Brentwood revolves around its nationally recognized Williamson County Schools system, where all four zoned high schools—Brentwood High, Ravenwood High, Independence High, and Centennial High—consistently rank in the top 5% of Tennessee schools by test scores and college readiness. The city’s amenity base is anchored by the 800-acre Brentwood City Park and the Croft Middle School sports complex, which host youth soccer, baseball, and lacrosse leagues that draw hundreds of families each weekend. Retail and dining cluster along the Cool Springs Boulevard corridor, home to the Mall at Green Hills’ satellite stores and locally owned restaurants like Mere Bulles and Cork & Cow. The rhythm is distinctly suburban: mornings see a wave of SUVs heading to school drop-offs, afternoons fill the parks and the YMCA, and evenings are quiet, with most commercial activity winding down by 9 p.m. Nashville’s downtown is a 20-minute drive for concerts, Titans games, or fine dining, but most residents treat it as an occasional outing rather than a daily resource.
Brentwood is best suited for families and professionals who prioritize school quality, safety, and space over urban energy or walkability. The city’s high cost of entry and lack of rental inventory make it impractical for young singles or lower-income households, but for those who can afford the median home price, it offers a combination of low crime, strong property appreciation, and direct highway access to Nashville’s employment centers that few other Tennessee suburbs can match. Empty-nesters downsizing from larger homes often find the townhome and patio-home segments more accessible, with prices starting around $550,000 in communities like The Governors Club or LaurelBrooke.
Crime in Brentwood, TN
Lower crime rates than 92% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Brentwood, Tennessee, is one of the safest cities in the Nashville metropolitan area, with violent and property crime rates that are a fraction of both state and national averages. The city recorded a violent crime rate of just 61.5 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 625.8 per 100,000 in the most recent reporting period. These figures place Brentwood among the lowest-crime municipalities in the state, a stark contrast to the elevated crime rates found in nearby Nashville and many other large metro areas.
Crime in context
To understand Brentwood's safety, it helps to compare its numbers to broader benchmarks. The national violent crime rate hovers around 380 per 100,000, meaning Brentwood's rate is roughly 84% lower. Its property crime rate is also significantly below the national average of approximately 1,950 per 100,000. Within Tennessee, the statewide violent crime rate is about 620 per 100,000, making Brentwood's rate nearly 90% lower than the state average. This performance is not accidental; it reflects a combination of high median household income, strong community policing, and a local justice system that has not adopted the progressive prosecutorial policies seen in many large metro areas. In jurisdictions with liberal district attorneys and judges, crime often rises as repeat offenders cycle through the system quickly. Brentwood, by contrast, benefits from a more traditional approach to law enforcement and prosecution, which contributes directly to its low crime numbers.
What residents experience
For those living in Brentwood, the most common safety concerns are non-violent property crimes like vehicle break-ins and package thefts, rather than assaults or robberies. The city's violent crime rate of 61.5 per 100,000 means a resident has about a 0.06% annual chance of being a victim of a violent crime. Property crime, while higher, still represents a 0.6% annual risk. The Brentwood Police Department maintains a visible presence, and the city's layout—with well-lit subdivisions, active neighborhood watch programs, and limited commercial corridors—discourages opportunistic crime. Residents consistently report feeling safe walking, jogging, and shopping at any hour, a sentiment backed by the data.
Neighborhood-level variation
While Brentwood as a whole is exceptionally safe, minor variations exist. The area around the Cool Springs Galleria and commercial zones along Franklin Road sees slightly higher property crime, primarily shoplifting and vehicle break-ins. Residential neighborhoods like the Governors Club, LaurelBrooke, and the historic Brentwood area near the city center report near-zero violent crime and very low property crime. The city's eastern side, closer to the Williamson County line, also maintains extremely low incident rates. Overall, no neighborhood in Brentwood approaches the crime levels of the broader Nashville metro, making it a consistently safe choice for families and professionals who prioritize security.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-15T23:52:55.000Z
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