Population 3,153 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Downtown Nashville: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Downtown Nashville
Household size in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.46 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.38 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.49 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.46 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Downtown Nashville is a place of small households, averaging 1.46 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Only three of Nashville's 38 neighborhoods have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6 | 36.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.6 | 37.3 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.1 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.7 | 38.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +1.5 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.7, Downtown Nashville is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Downtown Nashville is younger than at least four in five Nashville neighborhoods.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 11.7% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 11.6% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.4% of households in Downtown Nashville, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown Nashville
Renters in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.8% | 31.5% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 34.2% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 70.6% | 34.2% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 78.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +3.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown Nashville rent: 78.2% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 58.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2% | 9.1% | 11.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 8.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 41.6% | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 32.5% of the housing in Downtown Nashville, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Only one other Nashville neighborhood has a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1984 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1988 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1992 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +21 | +9 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Downtown Nashville is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of the Nashville area.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $794 | $905 | $761 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,051 | $986 | $837 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,519 | $1,212 | $961 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,168 | $1,653 | $1,286 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,373 | +$749 | +$526 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Nashville pays $2,168 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 30.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only three of Nashville's 38 neighborhoods have higher rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown Nashville
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4% | 30.1% | 23.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.2% | 32.0% | 25.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.6% | 36.3% | 27.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 81.4% | 41.0% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +41.0 pts | +10.9 pts | +7.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Downtown Nashville: 81.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Few Nashville neighborhoods have a higher share of college graduates: only two of 38.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.1% | 86.5% | 83.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.7% | 88.0% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.4% | 90.0% | 87.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.7% | 91.7% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +19.6 pts | +5.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Downtown Nashville: 98.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Downtown Nashville has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Nashville neighborhoods.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown Nashville
| Period | Downtown Nashville | Nashville area | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.7% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Downtown Nashville out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Only one other Nashville neighborhood has lower unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown Nashville compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Nashville | 1.46 | 30.7 | 8.4% | 78.2% | 32.5% | 1990 | $2,168 | 81.4% | 98.7% | 0.0% |
| The Gulch | 1.24 | 29.1 | 2.4% | 78.2% | 16.8% | 2015 | $2,231 | 80.1% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Germantown | 1.49 | 32.0 | 0.8% | 78.5% | 15.3% | 2014 | $2,111 | 84.6% | 97.3% | 1.5% |
| Fisk-Meharry | 1.59 | 26.7 | 10.7% | 82.3% | 15.7% | 2001 | $1,256 | 55.6% | 88.6% | 8.4% |
| Historic Edgefield | 2.20 | 33.2 | 26.0% | 80.2% | 7.3% | 1989 | $1,259 | 47.2% | 87.6% | 9.7% |
| Midtown-Nashville | 1.30 | 26.1 | 1.9% | 84.6% | 21.5% | 2011 | $2,033 | 77.8% | 93.5% | 1.9% |
| McFerrin Park | 2.31 | 28.6 | 14.2% | 71.1% | 12.1% | 1987 | $1,540 | 49.6% | 87.4% | 5.4% |
| Southside | 2.39 | 30.1 | 37.3% | 77.6% | 16.6% | 1977 | $624 | 31.2% | 77.6% | 22.8% |
| Edgehill | 2.14 | 33.1 | 11.5% | 68.4% | 17.3% | 1998 | $1,618 | 54.9% | 80.3% | 7.4% |
| Vanderbilt-West End | 1.40 | 23.3 | 2.4% | 98.8% | 64.5% | 2013 | $1,864 | 47.7% | 55.7% | 3.0% |
| Lockeland Springs | 2.28 | 39.4 | 7.6% | 22.7% | 8.0% | 1945 | $2,112 | 77.5% | 99.3% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Highland Park, Aurora, CO · Boltons Landing, Charleston, SC · Broadacres Homes, Athens, GA · Centennial, Burlington, VT · Cleveland Heights, Lakeland, FL · Cloutier Court, Wilmington, DE · Willamette, Albany, OR · White Caps, Kenosha, WI · Garden Home-Raleigh Hills, Portland, OR · Hawaiian Acres, Keaau, HI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown Nashville. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.