Franklin vs Brentwood TN: Homes, Prices, and Lifestyle
What Is It Like to Live in Franklin vs Brentwood, TN?
Franklin and Brentwood sit side by side along I-65 in Williamson County, just south of Nashville. Franklin pairs a historic Main Street and Civil War battlefield parks with newer planned communities, and Redfin put its median sale price at $863,089 in September 2026. Brentwood borders Nashville to the north, runs heavier on wooded lots and larger custom homes, and posted a $1,424,058 median sale price in August 2026.
By Khristian Schlemmer | October 23, 2026
If you're shopping the south side of the Nashville metro, you will end up comparing these two. They share a county, an interstate, and a reputation, so people tend to lump them together. Spend one Saturday driving both and you'll see they feel different.
I sell mostly out of Lebanon and Wilson County, but Williamson County is a regular stop, especially for move-up buyers and people relocating who want to see every option before they commit. Here's how I walk clients through it.
Franklin vs Brentwood TN Home Prices in 2026
Start with the numbers, because they shape everything else. All figures below come from Redfin's city pages and Realtor.com county data published through FRED.
Franklin (Redfin, data through September 2026):
Median sale price: $863,089, up 12.8% from a year earlier
Median price per square foot: $321, up 0.6%
Median days on market: 55
Sale-to-list ratio: 98.1%
Brentwood (Redfin, data through August 2026):
Median sale price: $1,424,058, up 5.1% from a year earlier
Median price per square foot: $356, up 8.9%
Median days on market: 63
Sale-to-list ratio: 97.4%
One thing worth reading between the lines: Franklin's median sale price jumped almost 13%, but its price per square foot barely moved. That tells me larger homes made up more of the recent sales mix. It does not mean the same house costs 13% more than it did last fall. When you compare two towns, price per square foot is the fairer yardstick, and it puts Brentwood about 11% above Franklin.
Williamson County as a whole (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026):
Median list price: $1,155,000, up about 0.9% year over year
Active listings: 1,677, up from 1,461 in September 2025
Median days on market: 63, up from 59 a year earlier
More inventory and slightly longer market times mean buyers have more room to compare and negotiate than they did a year ago. Sellers here still do well, but pricing has to be right from day one. A sale-to-list ratio near 97% to 98% says buyers are paying close to asking, not over it.
Homes and Neighborhoods: Historic Franklin, Wooded Brentwood
Franklin
Franklin gives you range. Near downtown you'll find older homes on tree-lined streets within reach of Main Street, the Franklin Theatre at 419 Main, and the shops and restaurants around the square. Push out a few miles and the city turns into planned communities with newer construction, sidewalks, and amenity centers.
Names you'll hear on a Franklin tour include Westhaven, Fieldstone Farms, McKay's Mill, and Berry Farms. Each has its own mix of home sizes, lot sizes, and HOA rules, so the "Franklin price" can swing a lot depending on the community. I'll pull current actives for any of them on request, because what's on the market this week matters more than any average.
If you're weighing a new build in one of these communities, read up on whether to use the builder preferred lender before you sign anything. The incentive math is not always what it looks like.
Brentwood
Brentwood was incorporated in 1969 and grew up around larger lots and custom homes. Many established neighborhoods sit on larger, wooded lots with mature trees, and you'll see fewer tightly packed new-build streets than in parts of Franklin. Governors Club and Annandale are two of the community names you'll hear on a Brentwood tour, alongside older sections near Concord Road and Franklin Road.
The tradeoff is simple. Brentwood offers more lot and more privacy per dollar of house, and Franklin offers more variety in price point and age of home. Neither is the right answer for everyone. It depends on what you want your weekends to look like.
Getting Around, Taxes, and Daily Life in Williamson County
Commute and roads
I-65 is the spine for both towns, running north into Nashville. Brentwood's northern edge touches Davidson County, so it sits closer to the city. Franklin is farther south, with Mack Hatcher Parkway looping around the city and I-840 crossing the south end for east to west trips. Franklin Road (US 31) runs parallel to I-65 through both towns, and plenty of locals use it when the interstate backs up. Rush hour on I-65 is real, so test-drive your commute at the time you'd actually make it before you fall in love with a house.
Property taxes
Tennessee assesses residential property at 25% of appraised value, then applies the local rate per $100 of assessed value (Tennessee Comptroller). Williamson County set its rate at $1.30 per $100 in June 2026, and the City of Franklin's rate is $0.296 per $100 of assessed value. Brentwood adds its own city rate, and homes inside the Franklin Special School District boundary carry an additional district levy. I'd confirm the exact rates on any specific parcel with the Williamson County Trustee before you budget, since city and district lines matter.
There's no state income tax on wages in Tennessee, which is a draw for a lot of out-of-state buyers.
Parks and things to do
Franklin's historic parks are a real draw. The Park at Harlinsdale Farm is credited as the birthplace of the Tennessee walking horse industry, and Eastern Flank Battle Park is billed by the city as the largest battlefield reclamation in America. Fort Granger and Winstead Hill round out the battlefield sites, and downtown Franklin keeps a full calendar of festivals through the year.
Brentwood leans into green space. Crockett Park was home to Middle Tennessee's first bikeway network in the early 1990s and added an amphitheater in 1995. The Brentwood Library on Concord Road is a local anchor, and the Maryland Farms area mixes offices, shopping, and dining.
For shopping, the Cool Springs area on Franklin's north side, near the Brentwood line along I-65, is the big retail and restaurant corridor both towns share.
Who each town tends to fit
Want walkable historic streets and a range of price points? Look hard at Franklin.
Want a bigger lot, mature trees, and a shorter hop into Nashville? Brentwood belongs on the list.
Want new construction with amenities? Franklin's planned communities have more of it.
Want Williamson County access but a lower entry price? It may be worth comparing Franklin against other Middle Tennessee areas too.
If you're still deciding between counties entirely, I've written guides on living in Mt. Juliet and living in Gallatin, which give you the Wilson and Sumner County side of the same comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Franklin or Brentwood more expensive?
Brentwood is more expensive by most measures. Redfin showed a $1,424,058 median sale price in Brentwood (August 2026) against $863,089 in Franklin (September 2026), and Brentwood ran about $356 per square foot versus $321 in Franklin.
How far are Franklin and Brentwood from Nashville?
Both connect to Nashville on I-65. Brentwood borders Davidson County to the north, so it sits closer to the city, while Franklin is farther south. Drive times swing a lot with traffic, so test your commute at rush hour before you buy.
What are property taxes like in Franklin, TN?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of appraised value. Williamson County's rate is $1.30 per $100 of assessed value, and the City of Franklin adds $0.296 per $100. Homes inside the Franklin Special School District boundary carry an additional district levy, so check the specific parcel.
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Williamson County right now?
It has shifted toward buyers over the past year. Realtor.com data shows 1,677 active listings in September 2026, up from 1,461 a year earlier, and median days on market rose from 59 to 63. Well-priced homes still sell close to asking.
Franklin and Brentwood share a county and an interstate, but they deliver different lots, different home ages, and different price points. The right pick comes down to how you want to live day to day.
If you're thinking about a move in Middle Tennessee, reach out to me at (615) 427-5672 or firstclassrealestatetn.com/contact. I'll map out a day in both towns and send you what's active right now.
About Khristian Schlemmer
Khristian Schlemmer is the founder and team leader of First Class Real Estate by Keller Williams in Lebanon, TN. In six years he has sold 300+ homes and $75M+ in career sales, with homes averaging 24 days on market, and he is a two-time Tom Ferry 30 Under 30 honoree. He helps buyers, sellers, move-up clients, and relocation clients across Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood.
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