You're about to travel to Tennessee and wonder which Nashville neighborhoods to avoid, the most dangerous, and the safest to stay in.

These are the first questions we ask ourselves when looking for accommodation for an internship, a business trip or a tourist stay.

Indeed, as violence increases more and more in many cities of America or Europe, it is better to learn in advance about dangerous areas and neighborhoods to avoid in Nashville.

The information published in this article comes from various websites (local press, blogs, forums, rankings and statistics). I made a synthesis in order to have a general idea about the dangerousness of the different areas and neighborhoods of the city of Nashville. This article simply uses data already online and therefore does not contain any judgment or discriminatory remarks.

Discover now the 2024 guide with the map of the main districts of Nashville to identify the best areas to stay but above all to avoid the most dangerous districts.

Is Nashville a safe city?

No, Nashville is one of the American cities considered dangerous in relation to its crime rate per capita. This is what emerges from numerous rankings and newspaper articles such as worldatlas.com ou neighborhood scout where Nashville is ranked 46th in the 100 most dangerous cities in the United States.

This is also confirmed on the site worldpopulationreview.com (Most Violent Cities in America) which ranks Nashville the 16th most dangerous city in North America. Indeed, on this ranking, Nashville would be a more violent city than Minneapolis, Chicago or New Orleans.

Nashville dangerous in 2024?

According to the classification populationu.com which is based on FBI figures, Nashville is still one of the most dangerous cities in the United States in 2024.

However, on the 2024 Numbeo rankings, Nashville has a crime index of 47.09, which places it in the average of American cities.

In comparison, Nashville would be less criminal than St. Louis, Kansas City, Atlanta ou Memphis.

And at the global level, according to Ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world and the statistics of populationu.com, Nashville is not on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Also on the ranking worldwide Numbeo.com, positions Nashville in the low average of the table. In comparison on this ranking, Nashville is less criminal than Paris, London, Rome. ou Casablanca.

Is Nashville safe for tourists?

Nashville, which is the cradle of Country Music, is a city that attracts many tourists and we understand why! Indeed, many visitors come for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Grand Ole Opry, The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the Opry Mills regional shopping mall, the General Jackson showboat, and so many others.

Nashville had been ranked among the 10 most welcoming cities in the United States by the cntraveler.com. It has become today in 2023 an increasingly popular destination for bachelor parties for young girls and boys.

You should know that, generally, violent crimes in Nashville do not target tourists. In fact, violent crime is mainly generated by clashes between gangs and drug trafficking. Except for petty crimes or thefts, most crimes do not occur in tourist areas. They take place in neighborhoods or areas where tourists do not usually go (see list below).

However, as in all tourist towns, visitors should exercise caution and choose the neighborhood where they will stay.

Nashville Neighborhood Maps

Nashville has more than 40 neighborhoods, officially or not listed: Antioch, Belmont-Hillsboro, Belle Meade, Bellevue, Berry Hill, Bordeaux, Buena Vista, Cane Ridge, Cleveland Park, Crieve Hall, Donelson, Edgehill, Five Points/East End, Germantown, Green Hills, The Gulch, Hermitage, Hillsboro Village, Hope Gardens, Inglewood, Joelton, Lakewood, Lockeland Springs, Madison, McFerrin Park, Oak Hill, Old Hickory, Richland, SoBro, Sylvan Heights, Sylvan Park, The Nations, Tusculum, Whitland , Woodbine, Woodland in Waverly, Whites Creek, West Meade…

This makes it difficult to know which neighborhoods in Nashville are dangerous and which are safest. To more easily locate the dangerous areas and the best places to stay listed above, here is a map of the main neighborhoods in the city of Nashville: Google map

Area to avoid in Nashville

Before giving you the list of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Nashville, you should know that overall it is the North West part the main area to avoid. The eastern part is considered safer except for the southernmost neighborhoods such as the Antioch, Glencliff or Four Corners neighborhoods.

Nashville's Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

We speak of dangerous neighborhoods for neighborhoods that have a crime rate relative to the number of inhabitants higher than the average for North American cities.

The list that I am providing you with below comes from the most recent data published on rankings and statistics such as areavibes ou crimegrade.

By cross-checking only reliable and serious information, here are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Nashville:

• Antioch
• West Meade
• Salemtown
• Heron Walk
• Glencliff
• Bordeaux Area
• Talbot's Corner
• Four Corners
• Buena Vista Heights
• College Heights-Clifton
• Hadley Park
• Elizabeth Park
• McKissack Park

See the links to view the Google Maps location in Nashville of neighborhoods to avoid. Note that this list is neither exhaustive nor classified by level of danger.

Nashville's Safest Neighborhoods

According to real estate professionals (agencies and specialized websites), the safest areas of Nashville are:

• Green hills
• Hillsboro Village
• West End
• germantown
• Historic Edgefield
• Belmont
• Charlotte park
• Five points
• Inglewood
• Council District
• Forest Hills
• Oak hill
• Beautiful Mead
• Granny White

These neighborhoods or areas are those with the lowest crime rate per capita compared to others. This does not mean that they are safe, but simply less dangerous than the others.

Best neighborhoods to live in Nashville

It's hard to tell you which Nashville is better. Indeed, apart from the few neighborhoods to avoid, Nashville has many beautiful neighborhoods that are all very different and that can be appreciated by some and not by others.

But, like everywhere, there are neighborhoods that are more fashionable and more popular than others. Among the safest in Nashville, the most popular neighborhoods are:

• Brentwood
• Franklin
• Downtown Nashville
• The Gulch
• East Nashville
• germantown
• Sylvan Park
• Elliston Place
• Beautiful Mead

Where to stay in Nashville for tourists?

Here are the 3 best tourist areas in Nashville:

• Downtown Nashville which is the best place to stay (see details below) very close to Five Points;
• East Nashville which is a lively area with good restaurants ideal for those going to Nissan Stadium or shopping on Fatherland Street;
• Music Valley is the perfect neighborhood to go to the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Mills mall, SoundWaves and enjoy live music bars.

Among these 3 districts, it is incontestably Downtown Nashville that visitors prefer for their first stay in the city of the Country!

Is Downtown Nashville safe?

Downtown Nashville does not have a reputation for being dangerous. It is also the best tourist district (see below).

Indeed, numerous police patrols monitor all the places frequented by tourists in Downtown. This is also confirmed by statistics on crime rates.

So, in general, Downtown Nashville is a safe neighborhood. Be careful, however, to remain cautious because (as everywhere else) attacks on tourists are always possible (see the article: “ Tourists warned to stay cautious after woman is assaulted in downtown Nashville").

Downtown Nashville best neighborhood for tourists

Located on the bank of the Cumberland River, Downtown is Nashville's financial, business and tourist district. It concentrates all the entertainment that tourists are looking for (concert and show halls, restaurants, bars and shops).

But in downtown Nashville, you can also admire the Tennessee State Capitol Building which was built by William Strickland in the middle of the 19th century.

The mythical honky tonk-style musical bars are found along Broadway, which is the main avenue of the district, but also in the surrounding small neighborhoods (see below).

In Downtown Nashville, the most touristy area is around The District, Music Row, Printers Alley, Broadway and Sobro. See location of the tourist area

Where to stay in Downtown Nashville?

If you want to treat yourself to a historic and legendary hotel in Nashville, then book at 21c Museum Hotel ! It is a magnificent hotel whose building has an architecture and a history that are part of the city's heritage:

Indeed, the monument which was built in 1900, originally belonged to the Gray and Dudley Hardware Company. In 2017, after a renovation of the former store facade, the building became the 21c Museum Hotel Nashville. It is a contemporary art museum and a luxury hotel.

Its location is ideal for doing everything on foot because the hotel is very close to Broadway, Printers Alley, the Tennessee State Capitol Building, the Johnny Cash Museum, the Music City Walk of Fame Park.

Cheap hotel in the city center

It is very difficult to find a hotel in the most touristy area of ​​Downtown Nashville.

The one I recommend below is located in the lively Music Row district and offers very good value for money: Placemakr Music Row