Tennessee’s 20 Safest Cities of 2018

Salt Lake City, UT – Tennessee may be home to some of the highest crime rates in the country, but as the latest FBI report details, it’s also home to safe havens. The database identifies more than twenty cities and towns with violent crime rates that fall below two per 1,000 people.

At the same time, all but three of those cities reported property crime rates below the national average.

Even some of the state’s most crime-ridden areas are reporting progress in certain places, including Memphis. The city of nearly 653,000 experienced an almost 40% drop in murders and an 11% drop in robberies for the first three months of 2018 when compared to just a year before.

Meanwhile, statewide domestic violence reports dropped 2% in 2017, with the majority of cases taking place between intimate partners.

These findings come during a time when Tennesseans are preparing to vote in tight races for not only governor but also a senate seat currently held by Republican Bob Corker. The latter is challenged by former governor of Tennessee and mayor of Nashville Phil Bredesen, a Democrat.

One issue under debate locally as well as nationally is the use of private prisons. Tennessee ranks tenth in the country for incarceration rates, with African Americans representing a disproportionate number of those inmates.

According to Gerald K. Fosten, a researcher at The African Institute, this is no accident. “Profit-seeking motives and other forms of economic incentives contribute to policy racism in Tennessee’s criminal justice system,” the graduate of Tennessee State University writes.  

SafeWise encourages Tennesseans of all backgrounds to familiarize themselves with the safety systems and programs available to them.

For a complete list, visit our National Home Security and Crime Prevention Center.  

The 20 Safest Cities in Tennessee

1. Belle Meade
   Population: 3,021
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.00
   Property crimes per 1,000: 10.26
   Total crimes: 0% violent, 100% property
2. Pleasant View
   Population: 4,327
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.46
   Property crimes per 1,000: 7.63
   Total crimes: 6.06% violent, 93.94% property
3. Signal Mountain
   Population: 8,577
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.47
   Property crimes per 1,000: 4.31
   Total crimes: 10.81% violent, 89.19% property
4. Oakland
   Population: 7,670
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.52
   Property crimes per 1,000: 9.78
   Total crimes: 5.33% violent, 94.67% property
5. Brentwood
   Population: 42,739
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.58
   Property crimes per 1,000: 9.29
   Total crimes: 6.30% violent, 93.70% property
6. Collegedale
   Population: 11,245
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.71
   Property crimes per 1,000: 12.18
   Total crimes: 5.84% violent, 94.16% property
7. Germantown
   Population: 39,311
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.17
   Property crimes per 1,000: 12.80
   Total crimes: 9.15% violent, 90.85% property
8. Erwin
   Population: 5,959
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.17
   Property crimes per 1,000: 10.40
   Total crimes: 11.29% violent, 88.71% property
9. Loudon
   Population: 5,800
   Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.21
   Property crimes per 1,000: 12.59
   Total crimes: 9.59% violent, 90.41% property
10. Hendersonville
    Population: 56,965
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.32
    Property crimes per 1,000: 15.34
    Total crimes: 8.58% violent, 91.42% property
11. Whiteville
    Population: 4,502
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.33
    Property crimes per 1,000: 8.44
    Total crimes: 15.79% violent, 84.21% property
12. Collierville
    Population: 49,531
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.62
    Property crimes per 1,000: 14.94
    Total crimes: 10.81% violent, 89.19% property
13. Tiptonville
    Population: 4,331
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.62
    Property crimes per 1,000: 8.77
    Total crimes: 18.42% violent, 81.58% property
14. Mount Juliet
    Population: 33,048
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.63
    Property crimes per 1,000: 14.83
    Total crimes: 11.02% violent, 88.98% property
15. Lenoir City
    Population: 9,175
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.63
    Property crimes per 1,000: 30.52
    Total crimes: 5.36% violent, 94.64% property
16. Nolensville
    Population: 7,164
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.68
    Property crimes per 1,000: 14.66
    Total crimes: 11.43% violent, 88.57% property
17. New Tazewell
    Population: 2,943
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.70
    Property crimes per 1,000: 30.24
    Total crimes: 5.62% violent, 94.38% property
18. McKenzie
    Population: 5,294
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.70
    Property crimes per 1,000: 27.77
    Total crimes: 6.12% violent, 93.88% property
19. Sparta
    Population: 5,131
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.75
    Property crimes per 1,000: 52.23
    Total crimes: 3.36% violent, 96.64% property
20. Church Hill
    Population: 6,714
    Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.79
    Property crimes per 1,000: 4.17
    Total crimes: 42.86% violent, 57.14% property

How We Chose the Safest Cities in Tennessee

To identify the twenty safest cities in Tennessee, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.

Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.

Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.