as the biggest draw. Only Houston and Memphis had lower cost of living indices than Nashville. “The cost of living compared to other large cities is amazingly low,” says Vice Mayor Howard C. Gentry Jr. That “provides an opportunity for a person to take a medium-level job and live comfortably, or start a career here and be able to grow and advance and not be so overly concerned about income.”
This is key, given the median black household income is $33,630 and just a little more than one-fourth earn beyond $50,000. Despite overall and black unemployment rates that are well below national averages and future job growth at 20.7% —second to Atlanta—respondents were unenthusiastic about their job prospects.
Home to Fisk University, Tennessee State University, and Meharry Medical College, Nashville is a black education center. It’s also home to the Citizens Savings Bank & Trust of Nashville (No. 24 on the BE BANKS list with $54.8 million in assets), the oldest minority-owned bank in the c
ountry. Nashville places fourth among the top 10 in terms of number of black residents for every black business.
The city’s medical cost index is below the national average. This corresponds with respondents’ satisfaction with the quality of healthcare. The middle Tennessee area, which includes Nashville, is home to more than 290 healthcare companies, reports the Nashville Health Care Council. Of note, Nashville had the highest score relating to the quality and availability of childcare facilities, an area that garnered low scores in every other city polled except Houston.
Even though Nashville’s violent crime rate is more than double the national average, respondents were only slightly dissatisfied with overall crime in their city and community relationships between African Americans and local law enforcement.
Nashville is one of five cities among the top 10 without a black mayor. Respondents were satisfied with the performance of their elected officials, but less than satisfied with the level of power and influence of African Americans in the community. Gentry says that his position as the city’s first black vice mayor is a step in the right direction. —T.H.
Main Industries
Healthcare, high technology, tourism, music, and entertainment
Landmarks
Fisk University Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery
Annual Events
Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival; The African Street Festival
Top Black Officials
Howard C. Gentry, Jr., vice mayor
Websites
www.nashville.com;www.nashville.gov
Back in the 1970s, when Nashville native Betty Hardy Hines was in her 20s, she left her hometown to move to nearby Memphis, Tennessee, and then on to the big city of Philadelphia. “I had graduated from school, and I’d never been away from home. When I got to Philadelphia, I fell in love with the city.”
Fast-forward to 1997. After the death of her husband, Dudley, Hines left the “City of Brotherly Love.” Nashville welcomed a native daughter home. “It’s like you’re coming back as a stranger in your own hometown,” says Hines, of returning to Nashville after having lived away for so long. “I fell back in love with my city.”
One of the first things she appreciated was the cost of living. She notes that