By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
TL;DR:
Nashville has become one of the most popular relocation destinations for Long Islanders, and for understandable reasons — no state income tax on wages, property taxes a fraction of Nassau County's, warmer winters, and a job market growing faster than most of the country. The tradeoffs are real too: hot humid summers, car-dependent everything, and a real estate process that works very differently from New York's. If you're seriously considering the move, the smartest thing you can do is start planning both sides of the transaction — selling here and buying there — six months out, because they don't happen in isolation.
Why So Many Long Islanders Are Landing in Nashville
If you'd asked a Long Islander ten years ago whether they'd consider moving to Tennessee, most would've laughed. Now it's one of the most common relocation destinations we see, alongside Florida and the Carolinas. The reasons are pretty straightforward once you look at the math.
Tennessee doesn't tax wages. For a household paying New York State income tax plus (if you're in the city) New York City personal income tax, that's real money back in your pocket every year. Property taxes tell a similar story — the effective rate in Williamson County (where Franklin and Brentwood sit) runs somewhere around half a percent. Nassau County is well above one and a half percent. On a million-dollar home, that's ten to eleven thousand dollars a year, every year, indefinitely.
Then there's the job market. Nashville has become a serious healthcare hub — HCA Healthcare is headquartered there, Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one of the largest employers in the region, and dozens of other healthcare companies have set up operations. Oracle announced a major campus expansion. Amazon has an operations center. Nissan North America's headquarters is in Franklin. It's not just country music anymore — though the music industry is still very much part of the fabric.
For a quick sense of what your Long Island home might be worth in today's market, the home valuation tool is a low-pressure starting point.
What Will Genuinely Feel Different
The weather. Summers are hot and humid in a way that's different from a Long Island summer. Sustained periods above ninety degrees, high humidity, occasional heavy thunderstorms. Air conditioning isn't optional. On the flip side, winters are mild — most years you'll see minimal snow, and the cold snaps that do come don't hang around like they do here.
Everything is a drive. There's no LIRR. There's no subway. Nashville has some bus service but no meaningful public transit for daily commuting purposes. Franklin to downtown Nashville is thirty to forty-five minutes depending on traffic, which has gotten worse with growth. If you're used to hopping a train into the city, that adjustment is real.
The pace and layout. Nashville metro is more spread out than Nassau County. Suburbs like Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, and Mt. Juliet each have their own character. New construction is common in the outer suburbs. HOAs are more prevalent than they are here. Lot sizes trend larger, especially outside the Nashville proper city limits.
The seasons of severe weather. Middle Tennessee sees tornado warnings a few times a year. Most homes have basements or safe rooms; you learn to check weather alerts in the spring. It's not a daily concern, but it's part of living there.
Where People Actually End Up
Nashville metro is huge — it spans several counties and a lot of very different sub-markets. Here's a rough shorthand of where Long Islanders tend to land.
Franklin (Williamson County) — historic downtown, walkable, popular with Northeast transplants. Median around $850K. About twenty miles south of Nashville proper.
Brentwood (Williamson County) — upscale, larger homes on larger lots, closer to Nashville proper at about ten miles south. Median in the $1.3M to $1.6M range — comparable to some Nassau County North Shore price points, but at property tax rates a third of what you're paying here.
Nashville proper (Davidson County) — includes urban neighborhoods like The Gulch (urban condo lifestyle), Green Hills (established residential), East Nashville (walkable, creative), 12South (walkable, restaurant-heavy). Median around $470K in most of Davidson County.
Hendersonville and Gallatin (Sumner County) — north of Nashville, lake-adjacent, more affordable than Williamson County.
Mt. Juliet (Wilson County) — east of Nashville, growing rapidly, substantial new construction.
Murfreesboro (Rutherford County) — southeast about thirty-five miles from Nashville, growing quickly, more affordable pricing.
School districts vary by county — Davidson, Williamson, Sumner, Rutherford, and Wilson each operate independently. Do your own research on district structure and fit rather than assuming that district reputation from a distance tells you what your family will experience.
How Buying a House in Tennessee Actually Works
This is where Long Islanders get surprised, so it's worth knowing before you start touring homes.
Title companies handle closings, not attorneys. New York is one of the few states where an attorney is mandatory on every residential transaction. Tennessee isn't. The title company coordinates the search, insurance, and closing paperwork. You can hire a Tennessee attorney for peace of mind — usually $500 to $1,500 flat fee — but it's not required, and most transactions don't involve one.
Closings are faster. Contract to closing in Tennessee typically runs thirty to forty-five days. In New York it's forty-five to sixty. If you're coordinating a Long Island sale and a Nashville purchase back to back, that difference in timeline matters.
Earnest money is lower. In New York you put down ten percent of the purchase price at contract signing, held in the buyer's attorney escrow. In Tennessee it's typically one to three percent held by a title company or brokerage escrow.
Contracts are standardized. Tennessee Realtors uses a standard state contract form rather than New York's attorney-drafted approach. Cleaner and faster, though it feels unfamiliar at first if you're used to negotiating specific contract clauses through attorneys.
What to Do on the Long Island Side First
Most Long Islanders focus on Nashville first — neighborhoods, schools, commute, weather — and figure they'll deal with selling their Long Island home when the time comes. That's usually a mistake.
The Long Island sale is the harder transaction and the one that funds the Nashville purchase. Getting it right takes real coordination. Engage a real estate attorney one to two weeks before listing (attorney is mandatory here). Pull your property survey and confirm your certificate of occupancy is clean. Complete New York's mandatory property condition disclosure form honestly and thoroughly — the form runs fifty-six questions and takes real time. Have a conversation with a listing agent about pricing strategy for your specific sub-market well before you list, not the week you list.
If you're planning to physically relocate to Tennessee before your Long Island home sells — a common pattern for job-driven moves — talk to a tax advisor first. Once you're a Tennessee resident selling New York property, you're a nonresident seller under New York's rules, which triggers an estimated tax payment at closing (refundable if your actual liability is lower, but it's real cash out of the closing proceeds). The timing decision between when you relocate and when you list can meaningfully change the tax outcome.
The Honest Bottom Line
Nashville is a strong move for a lot of Long Islanders — the financial equation makes sense, the job market is real, and the weather tradeoff (hot summers for milder winters) works for most people once they adjust. It's not a magic answer, and it's not a fit for everyone. The people who make the move happily tend to have thought through both sides of the transaction carefully and started planning six months out. The people who regret it usually rushed the Long Island sale to catch a Nashville purchase and left real money on the table.
If you're seriously exploring the move, start with the tax and financial planning first, then the Long Island sale strategy, then the Nashville search. In that order.
FAQs
Is Nashville really more affordable than Long Island?
For most Long Islanders, yes — meaningfully so. No state income tax on wages, property tax rates roughly a third of Nassau County's, and cost of living overall roughly 40% lower than the NYC metro. The exception is if you're buying in Brentwood or high-end Williamson County — those sub-markets are priced comparable to some Nassau County North Shore homes, though the ongoing property tax savings still add up meaningfully over time.
How is buying a house in Tennessee different from New York?
Title companies handle closings instead of attorneys (New York is an attorney state; Tennessee isn't). Closings are faster — typically 30-45 days versus New York's 45-60. Earnest money is 1-3% versus New York's standard 10%. Contracts are standardized state forms rather than attorney-drafted. Most Long Islanders find the process simpler and faster, though the absence of an attorney feels unfamiliar at first.
What's the biggest adjustment for Long Islanders moving to Nashville?
Two things, typically. First, everything is a drive — no LIRR, no subway, no real public transit for daily use. If you're used to trains, the shift is real. Second, the summers — hot, humid, long. Winters are mild in trade, but the summer adjustment is what people talk about most in the first year.
Do I have to pay New York taxes if I sell my Long Island home after moving?
If you sell while still a New York resident, you're taxed as a resident. If you physically relocate to Tennessee first and then sell your Long Island home as a nonresident, New York requires an estimated tax payment at closing — typically around 8.82% of your net gain, refundable through your tax return the following year if actual liability is lower. The timing of your relocation versus your sale can meaningfully change the outcome. Talk to a tax advisor before you make either move.
Which Nashville area works best for a Long Island family?
Depends on what you're optimizing for. Franklin and Brentwood (Williamson County) are the most common landing spots for Northeast transplants — Franklin for historic charm and walkability, Brentwood for larger homes on larger lots. Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet offer more affordability. Nashville proper is best for buyers who want urban or near-urban living. There's no single "right" answer — spend a few days visiting different sub-markets before you commit.
By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
Eric Berman | Long Island & Queens Associate Broker | Compass
1468 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY 11030
(917) 225-8596 | eric@ericbermanre.com | theericbermanteam.com
