How Nashville fits into Davidson County and Tennessee: the city, the county, Metropolitan Nashville Public School District, the neighboring towns within 15 miles, and which one to call for what.

Nashville sits in Davidson County, Tennessee. Three layers of local government share the work here, and knowing which does what saves time: the city, the county and the school district are separate bodies with separate budgets, separate boards and separate elections.

The city

The city of Nashville runs the police department, most local streets, parks, water and sewer where it operates them, zoning and building permits, code enforcement and trash and recycling contracts. The city council sets the property tax rate for the city’s share and adopts the budget each year. Council agendas are published before every meeting; we report from them on the news pages.

The county

Davidson County runs the courts, the jail, the sheriff’s office (which polices the unincorporated areas and serves warrants countywide), property records and the recorder or clerk’s office, elections, public health, and the county roads outside city limits. The county appraiser or assessor values property for tax; the county treasurer or tax collector collects it for every taxing body. Real estate transfers in our weekly column come from the county record.

The school district

Public schools in Nashville are run by Metropolitan Nashville Public School District, an independent body with its own elected board, its own budget and, in most states, its own line on your property tax bill. District boundaries do not follow city limits: some Nashville addresses are zoned to neighboring districts, and the district may include parts of other towns. School board agendas and state report cards are the primary sources for our education coverage.

The neighbors

These are the places over 5,000 people within about 15 miles of Nashville, nearest first. We name them when a story touches them, with the distance:

  • Goodlettsville (about 12 miles)
  • Brentwood (about 12 miles)
  • Hendersonville (about 14 miles)
  • Ashland City (about 15 miles)

Nashville by the numbers

From the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates (U.S. Census Bureau):

Measure Nashville
Population 684,298
Median household income $75,197
Median home value (owner-occupied) $383,100
Median age 34.4
Adults 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher 46.9%

Estimates carry margins of error; treat them as a picture, not a count.

Who to call

  • Police non-emergency: the Nashville Police Department (emergencies: 911).
  • Outside city limits: the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Property records and deeds: the Davidson County recorder / clerk.
  • Weather warnings: the National Weather Service office for this area is OHX; we publish its alerts for Nashville as they are issued.