City comparison
Centennial, CO versus Nashville, TN is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,708 a month in Centennial and $1,730 in Nashville, and median household income lands at $92,292 versus $71,328. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Centennial takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is median income, where Centennial leads by 29% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Centennial can feel further apart than Centennial and Nashville do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Centennial and Nashville reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Centennial, CO
Nashville, TN
Rent
1% cheaper
Centennial rent is 1% cheaper than Nashville
Centennial
Winner$1,708/mo
Nashville
$1,730/mo
Typical rent runs $1,708 a month in Centennial versus $1,730 in Nashville, so Centennial is 1% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $22, or $264 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
29% higher
Centennial's median income is 29% higher than Nashville
Centennial
Winner$92,292
Nashville
$71,328
Median household income is $92,292 in Centennial versus $71,328 in Nashville, so typical pay runs 29% higher in Centennial — about $20,964 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Centennial is the stronger labor market on paper. Nashville can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
2% lower crime
Centennial's crime index is 2% lower than Nashville
Centennial
Winner137 (100 = avg)
Nashville
140 (100 = avg)
Centennial's crime index is 137 versus 140 in Nashville (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 2% lower in Centennial. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Centennial, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in Nashville. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
School scores
Neck and neck
Centennial and Nashville are about even on school scores.
Centennial
A- · 84/100
Nashville
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Centennial, A- in Nashville). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
3% more comfortable
Centennial weather is 3% more comfortable than Nashville
Centennial
Winner78°F typical
Nashville
79°F typical
Centennial scores 3% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 78°F in Centennial and 79°F in Nashville. Centennial reads as warm weather most of the year; Nashville reads as warm weather most of the year. The comfort edge is real but not a personality transplant. If you already know you want Nashville's season, a modest index lead should not talk you out of it. If you are undecided, Centennial is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
Centennial is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 1% cheaper here at about $1,708 a month. Choose Centennial if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 29% higher ($92,292), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 78°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Centennial is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 2% lower than Nashville (137 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Nashville
On these five categories Centennial takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Nashville because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Nashville only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
If the job market is your priority, Centennial is the clear choice.
If weather matters more to you, Centennial pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Centennial offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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