Brentwood is the safest suburb of Nashville by violent crime statistics. The violent crime rate in Brentwood is approximately 0.89 per 1,000 residents, compared to Tennessee’s average of 5.95 per 1,000, a reduction of more than 70%. Most safety ranking systems that cover the Nashville metro area put Brentwood first or second. The data is consistent enough that this is not a close call.
Brentwood’s safety profile
Brentwood is a separate incorporated city in Williamson County, 12 to 15 miles south of downtown Nashville. Its population of approximately 45,556 is served by Brentwood’s own police department. The Brentwood Police Department’s staffing and response capabilities benefit from a tax base built on high residential property values, median home prices run $750,000 and up. Most crime in Brentwood consists of property theft, not violent crime.
Niche assigns Brentwood an A+ overall grade and consistently ranks it among the top communities in Tennessee. A current resident summary on Niche describes it as “a wonderful community that is safe and an excellent place to raise kids.”
The runners-up
Franklin runs close. Its crime rate is approximately 47% below the national crime rate, according to Felix Homes analysis. Most Franklin crime is property-related. The historic downtown and surrounding residential areas have an extremely low violent crime footprint.
Nolensville also scores very low: a property crime index of 21.1 per the crime index scale (national standard is 35.4), and a violent crime rate of approximately 1.87 per 1,000. PropertyClub puts Thompson’s Station at 521 per 100,000 residents, making it one of the safest communities in the state.
What about within Nashville proper (Davidson County)?
Inside Nashville’s city limits, Belle Meade, a separate incorporated community within Davidson County, has a crime rate of approximately 504 per 100,000 residents, which is 80% lower than the U.S. average. It has its own police department and consistently tops Nashville-proper safety rankings. Germantown in North Nashville produces crime rates approximately 77% below the Nashville average, making it the safest in-city neighborhood for those who want urban access.
Green Hills also performs well: less than 0.06% of Davidson County’s violent crimes occur there, according to PropertyClub.
The honest context
The safest suburbs of Nashville are in Williamson County, and that safety is correlated with income. Higher property values, lower population density, less concentrated poverty, and more robust local police funding all contribute to Williamson County’s safety profile. The same factors that make these suburbs safe, their exclusivity, limit who can afford to live there. That is not incidental to the safety statistics; it is part of the mechanism.
Sources
- Felix Homes, Safest places to live in Tennessee
- PropertyClub, 12 Safest Neighborhoods in Nashville, 2024
- Niche, 2025 Safe Suburbs of Nashville Area
- Niche, Brentwood community reviews
- Blueground, 5 Safest Neighborhoods in Nashville
- NestingInNashville, Is Nashville a safe place to live