Nashville, Tennessee is calling. Here’s what it’s like to live there.
Nashville goes by many names: Music City, Guitar Town, Nash Vegas, Smashville. But increasingly, it’s known by one more: one of the fastest-growing cities in America. About 95 net new residents arrive in the greater Nashville area every day, and 70% of the city’s skyline has been built in just the last 10 years. In 2025, Nashville ranked 4th in the United States for corporate headquarters relocations. The growth here isn’t just visible, it’s impossible to miss.
In this video, Plus Relocation’s Chris Pardo is joined by Neha Agarwal, Director of Relationship Management at Go Destination Services, and Ben Jasek, a destination services consultant and lifelong Nashville advocate whose passion for the city is exceeded only by his knowledge. Together, they walk through what employees and their families can realistically expect when relocating to the Nashville area.
The conversation covers the city’s distinct neighborhoods, from the upscale Green Hills area with its luxury retail and easy highway access, to the arts-forward energy of East Nashville, the high-rise cosmopolitan vibe of the Gulch, and the family-oriented suburbs of Brentwood and Franklin in Williamson County, home to some of the top-ranked public schools in the state. And exciting things are coming to the area: an entirely new development corridor on the East Bank of the Cumberland River, and a new NFL stadium already confirmed to host Super Bowl 2030.
On the rental market, the video gets into current pricing across low, mid, and high tiers, what drives those differences, and one notable advantage Nashville renters are finding right now: rent specials of one, two, or even three months free on many newer apartment communities. Importantly, Nashville does not charge broker fees to rent, unlike markets such as New York and Chicago.
From a cost-of-living standpoint, the truth is that Nashville is no longer the bargain market it was 10 to 15 years ago. But Tennessee has no state income tax, a meaningful offset that relocating employees coming from California or New York often find striking.
As for transportation, getting around Nashville still means having a car, but the city’s relative ease of movement compared to peer markets like Atlanta or Chicago consistently surprises incoming transferees. Nashville International Airport (BNA) offers more than 110 nonstop destinations, including new international routes to London, Ireland, and Iceland.
For settling in, the video covers the essentials: setting up a U.S. bank account, obtaining a Social Security number, navigating health insurance, and getting connected to the city’s infrastructure. One standout point: Nashville is a city of transplants. A majority of residents were not born there, which creates a notably open, welcoming social environment where newcomers rarely feel like outsiders for long.
The session closes with a look at Nashville’s culture and customs: the famous Southern hospitality, a food scene that has grown well beyond hot chicken to include Michelin-starred restaurants and globally inspired dining, live music around nearly every corner, and a city that is as genuinely accepting as it is lively.
Whether you’re moving someone here for the first time or trying to understand what makes Nashville such a consistent draw for companies and talent alike, this video delivers a grounded, honest picture of life in one of America’s most dynamic cities.
