The Safest Small Towns In Tennessee
Tennessee has often carried a reputation for a high crime rate. Plenty of its smaller towns tell a different story. Scattered across the state, these places all post aggravated assault and violent crime rates below the state and national levels. Residents here spend less time worrying about safety and more time enjoying where they live. This list runs west to east through seven of the safest small towns in Tennessee.
Dover
Dover sits just to the south of the border with Kentucky and is one of the entry points to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, an inland peninsula that was formed through the reservoirs of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. Residents and visitors alike can rely on Dover as a safe community. Data from the FBI shows only a few isolated spikes in aggravated assaults over a five-year period, with the most recent being March 2026 and August 2023, with no reported incidents in between. There have been no reported homicides over a five-year period. Nextdoor notes that Dover's overall crime rate is only 2.52 per 1,000 people, which is lower than the national average of 33.37 per 1,000 people, and that the primary safety concerns here are weather-related, such as thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Germantown
Germantown is a short distance away from Memphis and offers a much safer alternative. With a population of just over 41,000 people, Germantown has consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the state. Neighborhood Scout reports that Germantown had 67 violent crimes over a year, representing 1.67 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Taking a snapshot of data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, in March 2026, Germantown had an aggravated assault rate of 12.55, which was less than half of the Tennessee state level of 33.6 per 100,000 residents. FBI data further reveals no homicides reported since 2023. Germantown also helps residents stay healthy through parks such as the paved Cameron Brown Park, which has a lake and hiking and biking trails, while the 4,500-acre Shelby Farms Park sits nearby in neighboring Memphis.
Franklin
Franklin sits to the southwest of Nashville in a safe historic community, filled with cute village attractions and Civil War sites. Data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer provides backing to this claim, with aggravated assault rates at around half or below the Tennessee level. For a snapshot, in March 2026, Franklin had 6.63 offenses per 100,000 people, compared to Tennessee's level of 33.6, while in May 2026, it had 9.95 offenses compared to 32.45. Neighborhood Scout puts Franklin's violent crime rate per 1,000 residents at 1.33 compared to 5.92 in Tennessee overall. In Franklin, historically minded residents spend time going to the Carnton and Carter Houses, which both played a role in the Battle of Franklin in the American Civil War, along with shopping in the nearby village of Leiper's Fork, just west of Franklin.
Collegedale
Collegedale is a part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the community grew up around Southern Junior College, which was established in 1916 and is known today as Southern Adventist University. The community offers safety for the students, young families, and retirees who live here. It has had no reported incidents of aggravated assaults since October and November 2025, and prior to that, there were no reported aggravated assaults according to data from the FBI, save for an isolated spike in March 2024. The community did report homicides in May 2026 of 8.61 per 100,000 people, but none prior to that over the last five years. Residents here enjoy family-friendly activities such as the Little Debbie Park, the Biology Trails around Southern University, and the McKee Foods Bakery Store, which sells Little Debbie snacks and gifts.
Jonesborough
Jonesborough has multiple claims to fame. The first is the oldest founded town in the state, as it was established in 1779, 17 years prior to the state joining the Union in 1796. Secondly, it is called the Storytelling Capital of the World for its tradition of storytelling, which is featured prominently at its International Storytelling Center and Storytelling Festival in October. Thankfully, storytellers can perform without feeling at risk of violent crimes, as the aggravated assault rate falls below the Tennessee level, both according to data from the FBI and the data aggregator Neighborhood Scout, which showed that Jonesborough had 10 violent crimes per year, representing a rate of 1.48 per 1,000 people compared to the Tennessee level of 5.92 per 1,000 residents. The FBI confirms that data point, showing isolated spikes in aggravated assaults, but an overall low trend.
Townsend
Townsend is a tiny Appalachian community that has been called the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, due to its less crowded location by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with the closest landmark being Cades Cove, a valley known for historic sites and black bear sightings. Townsend is also quiet when it comes to crime. The FBI Crime Data Explorer last reported aggravated assault in Townsend in September 2021, with none since then. It also shows no reported homicides over a five-year period, and the last reported robbery incidents took place in January 2024. Townsend's community keeps a tight-knit spirit to keep residents and visitors busy through its Grains & Grits festival held annually in November with food and spirits.
Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain is more populated than Townsend, with an estimated population of just under 8,900 people. It sits on the Walden Ridge at the eastern section of the Cumberland Plateau, and gets its name from the mountainous landscape. Signal Mountain combines these views with safe neighborhoods, as the FBI Crime Data Explorer shows very low levels of aggravated assaults, with the last reports coming from November 2025, when it reported 11.26 offenses per 100,000 people, which was less than half the Tennessee level of 27.61. Furthermore, the last reported homicides, according to the FBI, took place five years ago in December 2021. Residents instead spend their days hiking through the 18 miles of trails that connect from Shackleford Ridge Park to Prentice Cooper State Forest or enjoying a small music performance at The Mountain Opry.
Safer alternatives in Tennessee
These communities offer safer alternatives to other big cities in Tennessee, while still providing plenty of activities, such as Jonesborough's storytelling center or the hiking trails throughout Signal Mountain and Townsend. The data consistently confirms that these communities are safe in terms of violent crime. However, in any community, all residents should practice safety measures such as having emergency contacts, locking doors, and staying aware of their surroundings to ensure they keep both themselves and their neighbors safe.
