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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Tennessee where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Lakeland, TN
- Signal Mountain, TN
- Arlington, TN
- Germantown, TN
- Collierville, TN
- Brentwood, TN
- Farragut, TN
- Nolensville, TN
- Maryville, TN
- Middle Valley, TN
These are the happiest places in Tennessee. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Tennessee?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 106 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Lakeland
Population: 12,628
Earners Over $75k: 65.8%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 34.0%
Lakeland is the happiest city in all of Tennessee. What makes Lakeland residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Lakeland resident only drives 26.3 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Lakeland residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Signal Mountain
Population: 8,523
Earners Over $75k: 65.4%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 28.0%
In 2nd place we have Signal Mountain. Residents of Signal Mountain are highly educated, with an impressive 71.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Signal Mountain have plenty of them.
3. Arlington
Population: 11,689
Earners Over $75k: 69.4%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 33.0%
Arlington is the third happiest city in Tennessee. Why so happy? 33.0% of Arlington residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Germantown
Population: 39,164
Earners Over $75k: 70.1%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 26.0%
Folks in Germantown have a lot to smile about. An impressive 70.1% of Germantown households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Germantown can afford peace of mind.
5. Collierville
Population: 49,610
Earners Over $75k: 70.7%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
Collierville is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Collierville residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Tennessee city is only $300,600), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Brentwood
Population: 41,987
Earners Over $75k: 81.0%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 19.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Brentwood a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 81.0% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Brentwood home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Farragut
Population: 22,260
Earners Over $75k: 66.4%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
Farragut is the 7th happiest city. Farragut residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 22.3 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Nolensville
Population: 7,656
Earners Over $75k: 79.4%
Average Commute: 32
Marriage Rate: 21.0%
Nolensville residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Maryville
Population: 28,520
Earners Over $75k: 37.7%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Tennessee is Maryville. The average commute in Maryville is only 20.9 minutes. That means they are only 20.9 minutes away from the loving spouse 23.0% of them have.
10. Middle Valley
Population: 12,097
Earners Over $75k: 41.9%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 30.0%
In 10th place is Middle Valley, Tennessee. What makes Middle Valley so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Tennessee
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakeland | 65.8% |
| 2 | Signal Mountain | 65.4% |
| 3 | Arlington | 69.4% |
| 4 | Germantown | 70.1% |
| 5 | Collierville | 70.7% |
| 6 | Brentwood | 81.0% |
| 7 | Farragut | 66.4% |
| 8 | Nolensville | 79.4% |
| 9 | Maryville | 37.7% |
| 10 | Middle Valley | 41.9% |
| 11 | Atoka | 61.8% |
| 12 | Bartlett | 56.5% |
| 13 | Franklin | 61.7% |
| 14 | White House | 48.7% |
| 15 | Mount Juliet | 57.0% |
| 16 | Green Hill | 58.9% |
| 17 | Fairview | 40.7% |
| 18 | South Cleveland | 26.1% |
| 19 | Hendersonville | 45.6% |
| 20 | Spring Hill | 61.8% |
| 21 | Lebanon | 32.5% |
| 22 | Oakland | 48.7% |
| 23 | Murfreesboro | 38.5% |
| 24 | Greenbrier | 33.9% |
| 25 | Tullahoma | 27.7% |
| 26 | Kingsport | 26.0% |
| 27 | Jackson | 26.1% |
| 28 | Munford | 46.6% |
| 29 | Mount Carmel | 26.8% |
| 30 | Gallatin | 34.5% |
| 31 | Goodlettsville | 39.4% |
| 32 | Dyersburg | 22.4% |
| 33 | Johnson City | 27.4% |
| 34 | Cleveland | 25.6% |
| 35 | Collegedale | 35.9% |
| 36 | Oak Ridge | 34.7% |
| 37 | Alcoa | 26.8% |
| 38 | Millersville | 40.0% |
| 39 | Clarksville | 30.5% |
| 40 | Sweetwater | 20.6% |
| 41 | Smyrna | 36.1% |
| 42 | Church Hill | 27.8% |
| 43 | Nashville | 36.5% |
| 44 | Jonesborough | 29.6% |
| 45 | Lexington | 31.7% |
| 46 | Harrison | 39.0% |
| 47 | Soddy-Daisy | 27.6% |
| 48 | Seymour | 32.4% |
| 49 | Manchester | 29.1% |
| 50 | La Vergne | 36.1% |
| 51 | Loudon | 19.4% |
| 52 | Chattanooga | 27.5% |
| 53 | Clinton | 25.6% |
| 54 | Athens | 20.3% |
| 55 | Springfield | 25.7% |
| 56 | Cookeville | 20.6% |
| 57 | Milan | 25.6% |
| 58 | Winchester | 25.3% |
| 59 | Tellico Village | 49.7% |
| 60 | Martin | 19.4% |
| 61 | Henderson | 20.5% |
| 62 | Red Bank | 20.8% |
| 63 | Fairfield Glade | 29.1% |
| 64 | Kingston | 35.8% |
| 65 | Erwin | 14.9% |
| 66 | Sevierville | 23.0% |
| 67 | Dickson | 24.1% |
| 68 | East Ridge | 21.6% |
| 69 | Eagleton Village | 27.7% |
| 70 | Greeneville | 18.9% |
| 71 | Lenoir City | 20.2% |
| 72 | Pigeon Forge | 16.2% |
| 73 | Portland | 28.6% |
| 74 | Union City | 19.8% |
| 75 | Crossville | 18.4% |
| 76 | Dayton | 19.6% |
| 77 | Humboldt | 13.4% |
| 78 | Shelbyville | 19.1% |
| 79 | Columbia | 23.3% |
| 80 | Bolivar | 18.1% |
| 81 | Elizabethton | 17.2% |
| 82 | Knoxville | 21.7% |
| 83 | Paris | 13.5% |
| 84 | Newport | 13.5% |
| 85 | Bristol | 24.2% |
| 86 | Hartsville/trousdale County | 28.9% |
| 87 | Mckenzie | 18.5% |
| 88 | Lewisburg | 19.3% |
| 89 | Memphis | 23.6% |
| 90 | Millington | 31.5% |
| 91 | Bloomingdale | 16.6% |
| 92 | Morristown | 15.9% |
| 93 | Jefferson City | 23.2% |
| 94 | Ripley | 17.5% |
| 95 | Mcminnville | 14.2% |
| 96 | Savannah | 12.2% |
| 97 | Pulaski | 14.7% |
| 98 | Fayetteville | 18.2% |
| 99 | Brownsville | 16.7% |
| 100 | Dunlap | 18.3% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
