Are these other Williamson county cities for you?

If you’re like most moms and families I talk to at this stage, you are probably also considering some of the other cities in Williamson County besides Franklin for your move.

Franklin is usually the city that grabs the most attention initially, but it may not always be the best fit.

Franklin is located in Williamson county, which is known for it’s highly rated, schools, but there are also some other great cities other than Franklin.

Maybe you’ve already been researching this! But you are overwhelmed.

Here are some tips from a local:

Nolensville is for you if… 

You want access to the most amount of newer luxury homes. There is more land available in Nolensville than Franklin, so it’s booming with development and many of those are luxury style neighborhoods. Your money will go a little bit further here than in Franklin. You’re still only 20 minutes to Franklin, Brentwood and Nashville. Nolensville has a historic downtown as well, so it’s charming and quaint, just on a smaller scale than Franklin.  There are some restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops in Nolensville. There’s a Publix and Kroger on the way. Because of the quick growth, traffic is a complaint. You’re also not close to an interstate access. You are in the middle of I-65 and 1-24. If you’ll be doing any sort of commute, you may want to pick an area that has easier access to the interstate.

Spring Hill is for you if… 

You love strip malls and chains – think Texas Roadhouse, Old Navy, Lowe’s, Target, Chick-fil-a and quick accessibility to these popular stores and restaurants. While Spring Hill does pretty much have everything you need in close proximity, it’s lacking in charm and character. You also have to really be ok with traffic. I avoid Spring Hill pretty much after 2pm if possible. So if you will be commuting north for work, you have to take sitting in traffic into account because it’s unavoidable! Commute from Nashville can be an hour+ with traffic. If you work from home and your life will be spent in Spring Hill most days, then this is a good option for you. Real estate is also more affordable than Franklin, Brentwood and Nolensville. Budget is usually the biggest deciding factor when moving to Spring Hill.

College Grove is for you if…

You appreciate some privacy. You don’t mind being 10-20 minutes from a grocery store and any other shopping. You love having more space between your neighbors, a larger yard and a larger home. You want to be close to a premier private golf community designed by Greg Norman – The Grove. You’ll see more open land and horse farms in College Grove. There are neighborhoods in College grove – with amenities like pools, parks, playgrounds, but there are also homes (many luxury options) with acreage as well.

Arrington is for you if…

You want to be a little further out and don’t mind driving to the grocery store regularly. Arrington is very similar to College Grove. Arrington is just north of I-840 and College Grove is south of I-840. It’s located about halfway between Franklin, Tn and Murfreesboro. You’re about 15-20 min to stores, shopping and dining. Arrington is mostly residential neighborhoods. There is a popular winery in your backyard, though – Arrington Vineyards. Arrington Vineyards is constantly buzzing with people and they have concerts, cigar nights, food and food trucks frequently.

Brentwood, TN is for you if…

You want the quickest access to Nashville. Brentwood is the city furthest north in Williamson County. You’re 10 minutes into Nashville and you’re 10 minutes into Cool Springs – which is the shopping/business/industrial area of Franklin. This is where Costco, Target, the mall, and a slew of restaurants are located.  If you are commuting to other cities for work via BNA, but you want your kids in Williamson County schools, Brentwood is usually the first option. Brentwood has the highest median price for housing in Williamson county. It’s also an established area, so there are mature trees and many neighborhoods with larger lots and ranch style homes. There’s also plenty of newer luxury style homes too.

Thompsons Station is for you if….

You don’t want to go as far south as Spring Hill, but are stretched to make your budget work in Franklin. It’s located in between. For now, you’ll be heading into Franklin or into Spring Hill for your shopping and dining. Currently, there is a new development being built called June Lake, with shops, dining, restaurants which will make living in Thompsons Station more convenient. But it’s not developed yet. There is a new interstate access in June Lake now that opened in June or 2024! So that will make Thompsons Station and Spring Hill more accessible. Thompsons Station is smallish.

Fairview is for you if…

You want to be further out, want a more rural feel, privacy from neighbors, would love some acreage, but don’t want to pay the prices in College Grove or Arrington. Fairview is the most affordable option in Williamson county. It also has the most amount of undeveloped land, so it’s being capitalized on currently – there are a good amount of new construction homes here right now. There will be more shopping, dining, etc coming in the future with the build out of a town square, so with that, it may lose some of it’s country feel. Fairview is a 45 min drive into Franklin, so it really is on the outskirts of town. It does have a grocery store and some restaurants and shops, but they are minimal. You’ll be driving into Nashville or Franklin/Brentwood for your other shopping, which will be about a 30-45 min drive.

And if you haven’t already downloaded our Mamas Moving to Franklin, TN Guide, you can get there here