Which Nashville Neighborhood Is Safest?

February 19, 2026

Safety in Nashville correlates closely with distance from the areas undergoing the most intense development pressure, and with household income. The wealthiest residential neighborhoods have the lowest crime rates, and they sit predictably in the south and west of the city.

The Safest Residential Neighborhoods

Belle Meade is the safest neighborhood by most measures. It’s an exclusive enclave in West Nashville with large private estates, private golf clubs, and a demographic profile that reflects extreme wealth. Crime is minimal. The trade-off is that it has almost nothing for visitors or newcomers who aren’t already in that income bracket, and it’s drivable-only.

Green Hills is the next tier: upscale shopping, large homes, top-rated schools, low crime. It sits south of Midtown and west of I-65. The Mall at Green Hills is here, as is the Bluebird Cafe. Green Hills is safe for families and anyone who prioritizes a suburban feel close to city amenities.

Oak Hill and Forest Hills occupy similar positions on the safety-wealth spectrum, offering wooded, spacious residential settings with very low crime and very little pedestrian activity. They’re areas where nothing particularly bad happens and nothing particularly interesting happens either.

Sylvan Park in West Nashville occupies a different tier: not as wealthy as Belle Meade or Green Hills, but an established residential neighborhood with a strong community association, good crime stats, and the kind of block where people know each other. It has actual street life: a walkable commercial strip with local restaurants and bars, without the safety concerns of neighborhoods closer to downtown or gentrifying corridors.

What About Neighborhoods Closer to Downtown?

Germantown, The Gulch, and 12 South are all reasonably safe for visitors and residents during the day and evening. Germantown has a police presence and a walkable community that self-regulates. The Gulch has security infrastructure typical of a LEED-certified high-rise neighborhood. Broadway itself has heavy police presence on weekend nights precisely because the crowd requires it.

East Nashville’s safety varies significantly by specific location. Five Points and Lockeland Springs are safe and walkable. Parts of the broader East Nashville area further from Five Points, particularly along some corridors of Gallatin Pike, have higher crime rates.

Neighborhoods With Elevated Crime

Parts of North Nashville, Antioch, and areas along Dickerson Pike have higher violent crime rates. These are also areas experiencing intense gentrification pressure, which complicates their trajectory. The construction of I-40 through Jefferson Street in 1968 displaced thousands of North Nashville residents and dismantled the commercial corridor that had held the community together; the neighborhood has been recovering and gentrifying since, but unevenly.

The Tourist’s Safety Calculation

For visitors, the practical concern is usually downtown Broadway at night, not residential neighborhoods. Broadway draws very large crowds and the police presence is substantial, but petty theft, aggressive panhandlers, and alcohol-fueled altercations happen. Watch your phone and your wallet on a crowded Saturday night. The actual residential neighborhoods most visitors interact with, Germantown, The Gulch, 12 South, East Nashville near Five Points, are all safe for normal tourist behavior.

Sources

  • Felix Homes, “Up and Coming Neighborhoods in Nashville”: felixhomes.com
  • NashvilleSMLS, Nashville neighborhood guides: nashvillesmls.com
  • Tennessee Tribune, “Gentrification in North Nashville”: tntribune.com
  • Redfin, Nashville neighborhood data: redfin.com/blog/nashville-tn-neighborhoods/

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