Nashville's numbers describe spread, not a single condition. A 5.3/10 average across 119 rated schools contains Martin Luther King Jr School at 10.0/10 and a middle-school tier averaging 4.6/10, with high schools at 6.2/10 — the average sits between very different experiences. The crime figures work the same way: 2nd percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades is a city-wide average of reported crime, and the 0.4% violent-crime decline in 2024 means the level is holding rather than falling. Property crime at 4,510 per 100k, 131% above the national 1,954, is the more common household exposure. Tennessee's 19 FEMA declarations between 1963 and 2021 establish that the state floods; they do not establish whether a parcel sits in a flood zone. Every figure on this page is a city average. The decision is about one address.
Crime in Nashville vs. the national average
Nashville reports 1,124 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 195% above the U.S. average of 381, and 4,510 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (131% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 0.4% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Nashville | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 1124 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 4510 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Nashville can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for Tennessee — the state SafeNest uses for Nashville's flood context — list 19 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1963 and 2021, most recently "Severe Storm And Flooding". Tennessee has also seen 3 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Nashville address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Nashville
Public schools in Nashville average 5.3/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 119 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.2/10 on average, while middle schools average 4.6/10. The highest-scoring is Martin Luther King Jr School at 10.0/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Nashville: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Nashville address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Check a specific Nashville address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF for $6.99.
Or search any Nashville address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Nashville
Is Nashville, TN safe?
Nashville records 1124 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 195% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: F, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Nashville?
Nashville reports approximately 1124 violent crimes and 4510 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Nashville have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Nashville, federal records show 19 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Tennessee, most recently in 2021; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in Tennessee.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).