(The Center Square) – La Vergne ranked at the top of an analysis of the “freest” cities in Tennessee while the state’s two largest cities ranked in the bottom five.
The City Freedom Index, released Tuesday by the Beacon Center, compared the state’s 30 most populous cities using four metrics: free enterprise, property rights, individual liberty and the cost of government.
La Vergne is located outside of Nashville in Rutherford County. The city of nearly 40,000 people took the top spot in free enterprise, which measures regulation, fees and competition from the private sector for local businesses.
Farragut ranked second and took the top spot for the lowest cost of government. Rounding out the top five are Gallatin, Brentwood and Hendersonville.
Chattanooga received the number one ranking for individual liberty, which considers restrictions or regulations on constitutionally protected activities. The city was 22nd overall, one ahead of Kingsport, which was rated as the top city for private property rights.
Bartlett, a suburb of Memphis, received the lowest place in the analysis. Rounding out the final five are Nashville, Knoxville, Collierville and Germantown.
“While Nashville is no longer the least free city on the index, it ranked lowest in the free enterprise category, while also struggling with other challenges such as high short-term rental regulations and excessive building permit fees,” Beacon said in a release. “Knoxville also faces considerable obstacles, particularly its high cost of government and it’s regulations on private property rights and free enterprise.”
Beacon released its first City Freedom Index in 2020.
“Tennessee’s Grand Divisions reflect the state’s diversity, which is also clear in the differing policies of its cities,” said Jason Edmonds, deputy director of policy at Beacon. “For instance, cities in west Tennessee often impose higher sales taxes, while Farragut in east Tennessee has no property tax. Additionally, many cities on the index engage in taxpayer-funded lobbying, using local tax dollars to hire private lobbyists to influence lawmakers.”
