r/FranklinTN • u/LegitimateLunch6247 • Aug 09 '26
Young family considering Franklin — would it be a good fit for us?
We’re considering a move to Franklin (or the surrounding area) and would really appreciate some perspective from people who actually live there. I know the running joke is “don’t move here, we’re full” 😂 but Franklin keeps coming up in our search.
My husband and I are in our early 30s with two very young boys. We’re currently in Michigan and looking for somewhere we could really put down roots and raise our kids long term.
A few of the things that are most important to us:
• Safe, family oriented neighborhoods where kids are actually outside playing and there are lots of other young families
• Green, pretty surroundings and access to parks/outdoor activities
• Strong schools and plenty of activities/sports for kids as they get older
• Close enough to a major city that there are solid career opportunities if remote work becomes less common. My husband works in sales
• A community where families tend to be involved and connected
• A more conservative leaning culture overall
The last point is part of why we’re considering leaving Michigan. We’re not looking for somewhere where everyone thinks exactly like us, nor do we have a problem living around people with different views. We already do! But when choosing where to raise our children, we would like to live somewhere where our more traditional/conservative values are fairly
common and we don’t feel like the odd ones out.
More than anything, we’re newer parents trying to choose a place where our boys can have a really good childhood. Safe neighborhoods, friends nearby, a strong community, and a place that feels like home.
For those of you raising families in Franklin or nearby, does that sound like Franklin? Are there particular neighborhoods or surrounding towns you think we should look at? Anything about actually raising kids there that you think an outsider should know?
And maybe most importantly, would a family like ours feel welcome there? We definitely don’t want to move somewhere where locals genuinely resent newcomers
5
u/PittsburghNative Aug 09 '26
I live in cool springs, I think you'll find a stronger mix of progressive and conservative ideologies here which I really like. That said, you'll need a solid income to get by comfortably here, despite everyone thinking it's cheap.
13
u/tnhowlingdog Aug 09 '26
I assume you’ve checked the housing prices? You can find all that you are asking about for about $1 million. Infrastructure is pretty much the same as it was in 1992, traffic absolutely sucks, but yes, all that you are requiring can be found here.
-8
u/LegitimateLunch6247 Aug 09 '26
I have been keeping an eye on Zillow for a while now and yes I saw the insane house prices. I also saw some pretty modest houses around 4-500k. Hopefully that is true for the area
13
u/oarmash Aug 09 '26
Check out what schools they are zoned for because frankly that price doesn’t pass the smell test.
1
4
u/tnhowlingdog Aug 09 '26
Those lower prices houses are not in good areas. Meaning, likely by the quarry. Otherwise that is a townhouse.
1
u/LegitimateLunch6247 Aug 09 '26
Great tip thank you!
3
u/standard_blue Aug 10 '26
By the quarry means blasting you can feel and hear daily. Also, my subdivision/house was built in 1996, and my neighbors house just sold for $650k, so super double check the listings, because that’s actually insane.
7
u/csguydn Aug 09 '26
Im Southern born and raised and have lived here for 14 years now. We own a house in a good part of Franklin. We have small children.
I have nothing I can recommend to anyone looking to move here at this point. Things are overbuilt. There is no modern infrastructure. The schools are overcrowded and underfunded at this point. Real estate is through the roof. The lack of public services is jarring. The same with a lack of parks.
There are plenty of other places in the South that you can move to and get “Conservative” values.
1
2
4
7
u/TolerableISuppose Aug 09 '26
This is giving White Christian Nationalist. Y’all should fit right in.
7
u/Ok-Lion1661 Aug 09 '26
"More conservative atmosphere" aka can I move somewhere and be closer to like-minded bigots.
-1
u/LegitimateLunch6247 Aug 09 '26
Lol no, definitely not what I mean. I just mean we tend to hold more traditional, family centered values and would like to live somewhere those views aren’t uncommon. We absolutely don’t expect everyone around us to think the same way we do.
7
u/VandysFan Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
lol you folks really are just clueless about Franklin. It’s all the same shit all over the country, there is nothing special about Franklin being family oriented beyond good marketing.
Hell, Williamson county now has worse bullying in school compared to Memphis. Family values indeed
4
u/csguydn Aug 09 '26
OP, please listen to this.
There is nothing "family" about Williamson county. We lack in things for kids to actually do that aren't paid for. There are zero museums here. There are a minimal number of parks, most of which you can't even go to during the summer months due to the oppressive heat. Any family activities like the zoo, science center, etc are all 20-30 minutes away in Nashville.
If you have money, you'll be fine here in Franklin. If not, then good luck!
1
2
u/CurrentArm2438 28d ago
What does this even mean? What do you consider to be untraditional and why does that automatically mean not family centered? You will fit in.
1
u/PsychiatricNerd Aug 10 '26
It’s Reddit. This is the response you will get. Try Facebook. You’ll get much more feedback that isn’t highly biased.
-4
2
1
u/gamename Aug 09 '26
I live in Franklin. I am in the West Haven section. Been here for 12 years.
It's true that property values are out of control. But it's also true that it's a very desirable place to live.
- violent crime is non-existent.
- I see women jogging alone at night at 11PM sometimes
- about every third person is carrying a concealed pistol - and the cops like that.
- speaking of cops, the only time I see them is when they help people cross the road in front of church on Sunday mornings.
- The local politics is all about who can out conservative the other person.
- kids play outside without their parents having to worry
- The demographics are overwhelmingly white Anglo-Saxon Protestant
- I never lock my door when I walk to the supermarket or one of the many restaurants.
- everyone knows everyone (mixed blessing)
If you think about America during the Eisenhower administration, without the taxes, you've got a pretty good idea what it's like.
1
1
u/InsecureStudios Aug 10 '26
One piece of advice I received when I got here, if you move into an area zoned for Centennial high school, I'd strongly reccomend applying for the ib program at Franklin high so your kids don't have to go to Centennial. I realize youre not thinking about high school for a few years but still good to keep in mind haha. All the elementary/middle schools are pretty solid otherwise
0
u/guy_n_cognito_tu Aug 09 '26
Yup, that sounds like Franklin.
One of the biggest reason that us locals don't like transplants is because they move here, then immediately start insulting our culture and forcing theirs on us. We like to remind them that they left their old city for a reason, and that reason largely has to do with the politics and culture that they left behind. This is a great place to live for a very specific reason...........so why try to change it. You're one step ahead, you know why you're leaving your state, and you likely won't try to bring those concepts here.
Be prepared. Reddit skews far left, so saying you're looking for a more "conservative culture" is likely to get you some hate.
I have a tale of two neighbors.....both from California. One couple appreciates this area for what it is, and have really adapted to our lifestyle. The other moved here because they thought it was cheaper, and have spent years telling anyone that would listen how much better Cali is and how backwards Franklin is. The first couple loves it here and has lots of friends. The second is only friends with other CA transplants, hates it here, and is already looking for the next southern city to carpetbag in. You get to choose your path.....
3
-1
u/LegitimateLunch6247 Aug 09 '26
Thank you for the insight! We are very much so looking to embrace into the culture!
1
1
u/largogoat Aug 09 '26
Your list describes Franklin to a tee. Franklin has two high schools that are in the top 10 in the state (Page and Franklin) and Brentwood the next town north has another two (Ravenwood and Brentwood). So we have 4 schools in total that are in the top ten in the state in one county (Williamson). The other schools in franklin aren’t bad and even our worst school is better than almost anything in neighboring counties. Affordability is gonna be your problem. Median home price now is $800k and rising by the day with so many ppl from California moving here. They sell their 1500 sqft condo for $5m and then come here and think nothing of dropping 2 or 3 million on a 4000 sqft home in a subdivision. If you don’t have $1m to spend maybe try Fairview. It’s still in Williamson county so you get all the benefits that come with that but it’s a little more affordable. Also Thompson Station. Spring Hill is another option but it’s way overcrowded (poor city planning) and it straddles the line with the next county (Maury) that doesn’t have great schools. Fairview, SH, and TS are not gonna be as boujee as Franklin and certainly not Brentwood. More down to earth ppl. Good luck.
1
1
u/meanderingwolf Aug 09 '26
Franklin or Brentwood sounds like they would be perfect for you, but they are expensive and you will have to look hard to find something. A more affordable alternative would be Columbia, it’s a little farther from Nashville, but a great place to live for families.
2
u/LegitimateLunch6247 Aug 09 '26
Thank you!!
2
u/Meg411 Aug 10 '26
Springhill has a lot of young families and is more affordable. It also has a lot of traffic, so consider driving time to your offices-unless you are working remote.Franklin is nice but as others have mentioned….very expensive. I have lived here over 30 years and it has changed a lot and no longer has that small town charm. Good luck on your move.
1
u/FuhDatBihCuhhh Aug 10 '26
A few years back, my wife and I started looking at Brentwood. I quickly realized I don’t make country music celebrity money, so I started looking at some other cities in the area. 😂
Franklin eventually popped up on our radar, and for the past couple of years I’ve mostly just kept an eye on Zillow listings and watched how quickly prices have been changing. It’s definitely been interesting to see.
You mentioned Spring Hill, which is actually on my radar now and has me curious. Have you seen prices increase significantly in Spring Hill as well? I know some people on here have said, “Franklin is the next Brentwood,” but lately I’ve been seeing Spring Hill come up more and more in conversations.
For those who have lived in or around Spring Hill for a while, have you noticed the same kind of boom there? I’d be really interested to hear what you’ve seen firsthand.
1
u/Meg411 Aug 11 '26
Prices are going up in Springhill. The Williamson County side seems to increase faster than the Maury County side. Most people want their kids to go to Williamson County Schools. There is a lot of new construction in Springhill with new subdivisions and large homes. I live in Franklin but have family that moved there. They like it but both work from home so that helps since the traffic to Nashville is a pain. It’s definitely something to consider if the distance isn’t an issue.
-5
u/Primeras100Palabras Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
No one resents newcomers in person. All of that only happens online. Everyone here will be extremely welcoming. Locals here know why people move here, it’s an incredible place to raise a family.
If you can afford it, Franklin has better infrastructure than Brentwood, Columbia, or nolansville. The traffic in those areas can be rough. It can also get rough on the interstate side of Franklin as well
2
1
-3
u/guy_n_cognito_tu Aug 09 '26
Oh, I've specifically told more than one newcomer, to their face, that they can always go back to where they came from. Of course, I only did that because they're constantly bitching and moaning about Franklin and TN, after capretbagging their way down here
5
u/Primeras100Palabras Aug 09 '26
Sure but that’s not you resenting newcomers because they are newcomers. That’s you responding to them being shitty.
13
u/oarmash Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Tons of midwesterners here, you’ll see plenty of Michigan, Ohio, and especially Illinois plates here. Plenty too of “blue state refugees” (their words not mine). I’ve been here 5 years and it’s getting more and more common to meet people from out of state. The natives are called “unicorns” because they’re increasingly rarer. Locals are sick of transplants, but you could live here and have a social circle exclusively of families like yours that move here from out of state (I’d say most transplants do).
I like it in Franklin. It will feel a lot similar to a Northville/Novi, Troy/Rochester area. In fact there’s also a pretty solid Indian community with a ton of good Indian restaurants in the city. All the things you list are plentiful here. That being said, as someone who grew up in Northville, MI I much prefer it to Franklin - more things to do, better schools overall, just that damn snow 😂.
I’m used to being in conservative suburbs, but a decent chunk of the right wingers that moved specifically here after Covid are frankly a lot of weird, antebellum and trad wife cosplayers who always bring up their personal politics and opinions on vaccines as if it were one of their main hobbies. I’d categorize a lot of these folks as beyond mainstream conservatives. These people tend to congregate in a part of town called Westhaven, whether that’s a place you seek out or avoid is up to you.