Bellevue is a western Nashville suburb inside Davidson County, roughly 12 miles from downtown via Interstate 40, and it is the quiet neighborhood that never quite gets mentioned in the same breath as East Nashville or 12 South but delivers a reasonable quality of life at below-average Nashville prices. It is suburban in character, not walkable in the urban sense, and largely residential in orientation.
Location and access
Bellevue sits between the 440 loop and the I-40 corridor west of Nashville, bordered by the Harpeth River to the south and the Percy Warner Park complex to the east. The drive to downtown on I-40 can run 20 to 30 minutes in normal traffic, longer during rush hour. The neighborhood is not served by useful commuter rail, so car dependence is high.
The housing and cost picture
Bellevue is consistently cited among Nashville’s more affordable neighborhoods for renters, with average one-bedroom rents around $1,711 per month as of mid-2024 data, below the Nashville citywide average of roughly $1,900. Home prices are similarly below the Nashville median, making Bellevue one of the few Davidson County neighborhoods where a detached single-family house remains accessible to a household earning a median Nashville income.
The homes are primarily mid-to-late 20th-century construction: ranch houses, split-levels, and older subdivisions that have not yet attracted the teardown-and-rebuild cycle that has elevated prices in East Nashville and North Nashville.
What Bellevue has going for it
Percy Warner Park and Edwin Warner Park, the combined Warner Parks system, covering over 3,100 acres, are accessible from Bellevue’s eastern edge. This is the best large-scale outdoor recreation resource inside Nashville’s city limits: trails, equestrian paths, picnic areas, a scenic overlook, a golf course. For households that prioritize outdoor access over commercial density, Bellevue’s proximity to the Warner Parks is a genuine asset.
The Harpeth River flows through and around Bellevue, providing kayaking and canoeing access.
What it lacks
Bellevue’s commercial corridor is not interesting. The dining and retail options along the main commercial strip are heavily chain-oriented. There is no Hillsboro Village-style neighborhood commercial district, no arts scene, no coffee shop corridor. People who live in Bellevue and want those things drive to Sylvan Park, 12 South, or downtown.
The profile it fits
Bellevue works best for households that need Davidson County access, want a yard and more square footage than the same money buys in trendier neighborhoods, and spend most of their social and entertainment time outside the immediate neighborhood. It is a base, not a destination.
Sources
- WSMV Nashville, Cheapest neighborhoods for renters, May 2024
- ApartmentList, Cheapest Neighborhoods in Nashville for Renters, 2025
- NashvilleSMLS, Cost of living in Nashville guide
- Visit Nashville TN, neighborhood guides