New Vanderbilt poll highlights Nashville housing unaffordability as city weighs density limits and budget commitments

Affordability rises as a top concern for Nashville residents

A new citywide survey shows housing affordability has become a dominant issue for Nashville residents, with most respondents saying homeownership is out of reach. In the poll, 82% said they could not afford to buy a house in Davidson County. The same survey found 73% want Mayor Freddie O’Connell to make affordable housing a priority, placing it among residents’ most frequently cited expectations for Metro government.

The poll was conducted from Feb. 20 through March 14 among 1,048 Nashville residents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.05 percentage points. Beyond housing, the results pointed to broad economic unease: the share of residents who said city leaders should prioritize bringing new, good jobs more than doubled year over year, from 18% to 43%, and only 8% described Nashville’s economy as “very good.”

Support for more housing supply collides with neighborhood concerns

The survey also captured a shift in attitudes about how to expand housing options. A slim majority (53%) said multifamily housing should be limited to already-dense areas rather than permitted broadly in smaller neighborhoods. The change complicates an approach frequently associated with adding supply through higher-density development, even as affordability pressures intensify.

The same poll that found widespread concern about affordability also found a majority favoring limits on where multifamily housing can be built.

Metro’s current approach: a unified strategy and dedicated funding

Metro government has been building a policy framework around affordability through the Unified Housing Strategy, introduced as a coordinated plan spanning homelessness response, affordable homeownership, and preservation of existing affordable homes. In the first year of implementation tied to the mayor’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget, Metro outlined a $45 million commitment for housing priorities.

Metro’s housing package has included support for the Barnes Fund, tax abatements through MDHA’s PILOT program intended to encourage affordable housing development and rehabilitation, and funding tied to eviction legal representation initiatives. City leaders have also emphasized the need to scale housing supply and preserve affordability as property values rise.

Production and market signals: progress, but pressure remains

Metro housing data shows city funding supported construction of nearly 3,000 affordable housing units in fiscal year 2025, described by city officials as the highest level since 2016. At the same time, local market indicators have suggested some easing in certain segments—such as increased inventory in the region—though the poll indicates many residents still do not see a realistic path to ownership.

• 82% said they cannot afford to buy a home in Davidson County.
• 73% said affordable housing should be a priority for the mayor.
• 53% supported limiting multifamily housing to dense areas.
• Nearly 3,000 affordable units were supported by city funding in fiscal year 2025.

The poll results underline a central challenge for Nashville’s next phase of housing policy: aligning the scale of housing needed to improve affordability with public preferences about where and how new homes should be built.