Housing

Historically speaking, Nashville was a relatively affordable place to live. Before 2010 let’s say, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect that your average full-time job could afford you a place to rent or even buy within a 15 minute drive to the center of town. You might even have enough space for your band to rehearse.

But with the average home price now over $400K, once working class neighborhoods near the city center have become out of reach for all but upper income residents. Options for lower income Nashvillians have dwindled. And with the city projected to continue to grow at a rapid clip, the future of affordable housing seems tenuous without strong policies and interventions to address it.

The WPLN newsroom will continue to report on the state of housing in Middle Tennessee as the region continues to reckon with the consequences of its rapid growth.

Join the conversation! We’ve dedicated several episodes of This Is Nashville to the rising cost of housing. Listen on any podcasting app, or on our website:

• In My Place: A series that educates listeners on what cities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. 
• Adventures in Nashville home shopping with first-time buyers
• Nashville’s growing need for affordable housing
• How mediation solves disputes, including between landlords and renters
• How rising housing costs are pushing Nashville’s immigrant communities further away