The pull of Nashville: A dozen celebrities who have moved to Tennessee, and why

By Hannah Chambers

Why stars are ditching New York and L.A. for a fresh start in Music City

Steve Tyler and Melissa Joan Hart have both moved to Nashville.

Nashville has long been home to some of the most recognizable names in R&B and country music, but over the last few years, celebrities from a variety of industries have flocked to the Music City.

As the city has continued to grow, it has earned a reputation for its distinct brand of laid-back luxury, offering residents a bustling culture, mild weather, and a reasonably-priced cost of living.

It's no surprise that more than a few famous transplants have decided to relocate to this hospitable location.

From podcasters who can record from a home studio to stars of the silver screen who seek a quieter pace of life for their families, there are plenty of valid reasons why celebrities are ditching the more popular choices of Los Angeles and New York City to start fresh in Tennessee.

See which notable people have recently traded in their former residences for Nashvillian status.

Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid

In June, Dennis Quaid decided to say farewell to his longtime Los Angeles abode, listing it for $5.2 million before cutting $500,000 from the asking price on Sept. 29.

The "Parent Trap" star's decision to offload his contemporary Brentwood Hills home came about six years after he and his wife, Lara Savoie, moved to Tennessee in 2020, citing frustrations with California taxes.

"It used to be such a great town and the '90s was nice," the Texas native told Fox News of life in L.A. "And then it's been kind of going downhill and I feel like people pay these taxes for no services is what it gets down to."

For a time, Quaid and Savoie were traveling back and forth between Los Angeles and Nashville, but following the 2025 California wildfires, they decided to pull the plug on life on the West Coast.

Rumer Willis

Rumer Willis, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, performs at the Aspen Snow Ball Gala on March 21, 2026 in Aspen, Colorado.

In August 2026, actress and singer Rumer Willis packed her belongings to begin a new chapter in Nashville.

"Moving your whole life across the country is a leap of faith," the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore shared in an Instagram post, in which she documented "two decades" of her life that had been moved "across 2,000 miles and set down in Nashville."

Willis had been splitting her time between Idaho-where she was raised with her sisters-and Los Angeles-in a home she'd resided in for nearly 14 years after it was passed over to her by her mother's ex-husband, Ashton Kutcher.

The desire for a fresh start came after a legal battle with her ex, Derek Richard Thomas. Willis was eventually awarded temporary primary custody of the former couple's 3-year-old daughter, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis.

In a Sept. 22 Instagram post, Willis offered an update on her new era, writing, "So grateful and thankful for this beautiful life, my exquisite daughter, our new home, my family."

Kristin Cavallari

Kristin Cavallari in 2014.

"Laguna Beach" may be the first thing that comes to mind when some think of Kristin Cavallari, but the reality TV veteran has called Nashville home for nearly a decade.

In 2017, "The Hills" alum and her now-ex-husband, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, left the Windy City in pursuit of a "great place" to raise their family.

"I love it. You know you still get all four seasons, but it's much milder than other parts of the country and it's just fun. The people are cool. There's really good food. There's always something fun to do. There's not really a whole lot to not like about Nashville," Cavallari told People magazine just before their move in April 2017.

These days, Cavallari is residing in a beautiful Tennessee estate after offloading the "divorce house" she found comfort in following her split in 2020.

The new abode sits on a 130-acre plot of land, offering lots of privacy, thanks to its remote location just outside of Nashville.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2025.

In January 2025, singer Jessica Simpson announced her split from former NFL player Eric Johnson, sharing her plans to leave Los Angeles a month later in an interview with her sister, Ashlee Simpson Ross, in The Cut.

The former reality star candidly spoke about how "she needed to go somewhere" she could put herself first, eventually deciding to split her time between California and Tennessee, residing in a rental property in Nashville.

She realized she wanted to spend more time in the city when celebrating her daughter Maxwell's 11th birthday, and began "looking at real estate that day."

"Another great thing about Nashville is there's no paparazzi," she said. "I literally was doing cartwheels down the Walmart aisles."

Chrissy Metz

Chrissy Metz in Madison, Tenn., April 11, 2026.

"The Hunting Wives" star Chrissy Metz relocated to Tennessee from California in 2020, noting that the move helped her find love and self confidence after 21 years in L.A.

Without completely ditching her ties to Los Angeles, as she has continued to maintain a residence there, Metz told People magazine in 2025 that she was drawn to Nashville for the opportunity to record music.

She also noted that she had found love locally in Tennessee. The "This Is Us" star chooses to keep her partner out of the spotlight, and only disclosed that he is an electrical engineer that she had been with for a year by the time of the interview.

Nicole Young

Nicole Young at a Netflix event in 2024.

"Selling Sunset" alum Nicole Young decided to make Nashville her primary residence in October 2025, telling Realtor.com that while she wasn't planning to say a "permanent goodbye to L.A.," the Music City would "definitely" be her new home as she split her time between locations.

In the year since Young set her sights on a Nashville abode she loved, she's since spent lots of time soaking up her "new beginnings," taking to Instagram on May 4 to share that "life lately in Tennessee" has "been really, really beautiful."

Ariel Winter

Ariel Winter at a screening of "Pools" in Los Angeles, Sept. 5, 2026.

Actress Ariel Winter relocated to Nashville after purchasing a $2.9 million abode in College Grove in May 2022.

At the time, she had moved from California with her former partner, Luke Benward, but the pair split in August 2025 after nearly six years of dating.

In May 2026, the "Modern Family" star revealed that she now splits her time between Nashville and Los Angeles, after moving into a California rental with her former on-screen brother, Nolan Gould.

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Kathie Lee Gifford

Kathie Lee Gifford in 2025.

Kathie Lee Gifford moved to Nashville in 2019 after leaving her hosting gig on the "Today" show, reportedly snapping up a $3.7 million 7,965-square-foot abode.

In a 2020 interview with Nashville Lifestyles, Gifford explained that she had visited the city plenty of times throughout her career, recording albums, filming TV shows, and attending the CMA festival.

"I found the people of Nashville to be great fun and truly kind hearted-good people as a whole," she said. "I discovered almost immediately that Nashville was even more fun and exciting than I could have dreamed."

Ben Foster

Ben Foster attends the premiere of "Motor City" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, July 13, 2026.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, actor Ben Foster decided to chase a slower life in Nashville.

"I lived in L.A. for, we'll call it 12 years. I lived in New York for about the same," he told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2025.

"After the pandemic, I had a cognition that I didn't need to live on either coast, quite frankly," said Foster, who shares two children with ex-wife, "Orange is the New Black" actress Laura Prepon.

The duo split in September 2024, agreeing to sell the Nashville home they had shared together. However, Foster stayed in the city after the split.

"I love horses and I ride. I love live music. I dig country music. There's been a shift from both coasts and I've found that it's gentler for me, at least, to hub there," he continued. "Nashville is just a different way. I'm enjoying it."

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Melissa Joan Hart

Melissa Joan Hart at a Grammy Awards party, Feb. 1, 2026.

Melissa Joan Hart is coming up on six years in Music City, after relocating from Connecticut with her husband, Mark Wilkerson, and their three sons.

In October 2023, the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" star celebrated the family's third anniversary of moving to Tennessee "to make a new home and create new memories."

"A big hug to all the friends, neighbors, teachers, and people who have made it such a wonderful place to raise our family," she wrote in an Instagram caption.

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Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler at the Grammy Awards viewing party in Los Angeles, Feb. 1, 2026.

Steven Tyler purchased a home in the "musical Mecca" in 2016, telling Louder Sound he was living in Nashville "full-on" after testing the waters by renting first.

The Aerosmith frontman explained that the city's passion for his favorite industry pulled him in.

"This town still has the passion for music. It hasn't lost it through business and money, which may be big here but the music aspect still has the passion," he told the magazine. "Artists come here from all over the world to be part of it, and there's so much music dripping out of the honeycomb of this town that I'm in it. I'm in it neck-deep."

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