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Murfreesboro

Rutherford County · Covered by Trey Sugg / Realty ONE Group Music City

Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Middle Tennessee

About Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro is the Rutherford County seat and home to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). It sits on the I-24 corridor southeast of Nashville — a full city market with its own Public Square, hospital campuses, Costco/Target/Sam’s retail spine, and national-builder fringe — not only a bedroom community. When you cut through the noise, three facts matter more than any brochure headline: (1) the City of Murfreesboro is not the same grain as Rutherford County portal or GNAR board medians, (2) MCS (Pre-K–6 for many in-city addresses) and RCS (middle/high for all + some in-city elementaries) split by address, never by ZIP, and (3) Realtor.com August 2026 city sold $434,990 is the PRIMARY city sale grain for this pack — Redfin’s June 2026 ~$416K is a labeled CONFLICT, and ACS owner value $402,100 is not a sale median.

This is Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Rutherford) — Census place FIPS 4751560 — not Murfreesboro in any other state. Incorporated 1817; named for Lt. Col. Hardy Murfree; Tennessee capital 1818–1826 (Visit Rutherford). Population estimate Jul 1, 2025: 171,178 (+12.0% vs 2020 estimates base 152,825; Census 2020 152,769; Census 2010 108,755). Land area 62.89 sq mi (2020); density 2,429.2/sq mi. City Hall / municipal offices cluster downtown (111 W Vine St). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rutherfordcountytennessee,murfreesborocitytennessee/PST045225 · Visit Rutherford: https://visitrutherfordtn.com/murfreesboro/

Research status: murfreesboro-city/ pack is TRULY complete (EVIDENCE-BRIEF + SCHOOLS, EMPLOYERS, RETAIL-MEDICAL, RECREATION, HISTORIC, BUILDERS_NEW_CONSTRUCTION, NOTABLE_PEOPLE, MAP_PINS + page-sections.json, 2026-09-11). SECTION_ORDER H2s render from the pack payload; this MD keeps the Public Square / MTSU / I-24 corridor framing.

CRITICAL — Rutherford seat with city vs county honesty. This same city guide is the source for both Murfreesboro and the Rutherford twin path. County context: Rutherford County area guide. Neighbor I-24 peers: Smyrna · La Vergne. Do not publish Rutherford County GNAR Res $450,000 (Q2 2026) as the City of Murfreesboro sold median.

Corridors: I-24 (primary SE Nashville–Rutherford spine: La Vergne → Smyrna → Murfreesboro) · US-41 / Murfreesboro Pike (surface travel toward Davidson) · Old Fort Pkwy / Medical Center Pkwy / Veterans Pkwy (retail + hospital + park) · Joe B Jackson Pkwy (Amazon / south-side big-box) · downtown Public Square. ACS mean commute 26.7 min — a local average, not a timed downtown-Nashville ETA (GAP for peak I-24 table).

Rutherford County Courthouse on the Murfreesboro Public Square
Rutherford County Courthouse · Public Square

Commute & daily geography

I-24 is the primary link toward Nashville and toward Manchester/Coffee County. Local arterials around the Square, Medical Center Parkway, and campus-area streets shape daily trips.

James E. Walker Library exterior on the Middle Tennessee State University campus in Murfreesboro
MTSU Walker Library · campus exterior

Housing notes

Stock ranges from historic downtown-adjacent homes to large volumes of suburban subdivision housing and student-adjacent rentals near MTSU. HOA and rental-cap rules vary by community — read the docs.

Cannonsburgh Village log cabin in Murfreesboro with village signage
Cannonsburgh Village

Commute corridors

I-24 is the primary SE Nashville–Rutherford spine (La Vergne → Smyrna → Murfreesboro). US-41 / Murfreesboro Pike for surface travel toward Davidson. Local texture: Old Fort Pkwy / Medical Center Pkwy / Veterans Pkwy / Joe B Jackson Pkwy. ACS mean commute 26.7 min — a local average, not a fixed downtown Nashville ETA. Drive peak I-24 at your actual work hours before you commit. A Murfreesboro mailing does not tell you MCS vs RCS elementary.

Buy / sell — short diligence

  • City vs county first: City of Murfreesboro portals ≠ Rutherford County GNAR Res (~$450K Q2). Never publish county board as city sold.
  • Schools: MCS Pre-K–6 for many in-city addresses; RCS middle/high for all + some in-city ES (e.g. Barfield). Zone tools, never ZIP. Private: MTCS + Providence (no invented tuition).
  • Market grain: Realtor city sold $434,990 (Aug 2026) is the PRIMARY city number; Redfin 3-mo ending Jun ~$416K is a labeled CONFLICT; ACS $402,100 ≠ sale; GNAR Rutherford Res/Condo = county backdrop only.
  • Stock mix: fringe new-construction (Ryan / Pulte / D.R. Horton / Lennar / Meritage named) vs in-town / Square-adjacent vs MTSU-proximate rental demand — match the buyer, don’t assume one product.
  • HOA/CC&Rs on masterplans and rental caps if any; student-adjacent properties need clear rental/HOA answers.
  • Flood / drainage notes — verify per address (West Fork Stones River / greenway-adjacent parcels especially).
  • New-construction vs resale: builder incentives and lot premiums change; confirm warranty; never trust builder school auto-suggests without parcel verify (MCS vs RCS).
  • City vs county services; Rutherford Trustee tax bill; student-rental demand near MTSU.
  • Retail everyday: Target / Costco / Sam’s / Walmart / The Avenue in city — real everyday convenience vs smaller peers.
  • Hospital: Ascension Rutherford + Westlawn in city; TriStar StoneCrest is Smyrna.
  • Cross-shop Smyrna · La Vergne · Rutherford County on the I-24 spine; compare Franklin/Brentwood only with the premium/schools tradeoff named honestly.

TN disclosure ≠ inspection — budget a thorough inspection and crawlspace look on older near-Square stock, and ask hard warranty / punch-list questions on fringe new construction. Title-company closings are typical here. Whether you’re comparing a Richland Downs new-build to a near-Square bungalow, shopping Blackman High vs Oakland High vs Siegel High zones, or weighing an Amazon / MTSU / Ascension commute against a Smyrna plant drive on I-24 — let’s walk through the address-level details. Soft next step: MCS Edulog + RCS ArcGIS pin for the exact parcel, then a timed drive at your hours. I’ll keep watching these city vs county portal numbers so you don’t mix them.

Housing / market

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Owner-occupied rate 52.4% (ACS 2020–2024) — substantial renter share vs Rutherford County 64.8%. ACS median owner value $402,100; median gross rent $1,481 — not MLS sale medians. Stock mix (qualitative): production new-construction SFH/townhomes on the growth fringe + older in-town / near-Square stock + student-proximate rentals near MTSU. Condo vs acreage share: GAP.

Portal stats — murfreesboro-city pack EVIDENCE-BRIEF §2 (2026-09-11). Aggregators = SECONDARY to Realtracs/GNR MLS; for this pack Realtor.com August 2026 city sold is PRIMARY city grain, Redfin 3-mo ending Jun 2026 = labeled CONFLICT. Do not blend.

CONFLICT: Realtor Aug $434,990 / DOM 50 vs Redfin Jun ~$416K / DOM ~61 — cite source + as-of; never average. Stale Redfin ~$429K PRIMARY claims: delete.

County backdrop only — never City of Murfreesboro sold: GNAR Rutherford Res Q2 2026 $450,000 / Condo $319,900; Q1 Res $446,470 / Condo $325,500 — https://www.greaternashvillerealtors.org/market-data-quarterly. GNAR city rows for Murfreesboro/Smyrna/La Vergne: GAP.

  • Overall portal median (city PRIMARY): Realtor sold $434,990 (Aug 2026)
  • Redfin city (CONFLICT): ~$416K (3-mo ending Jun 2026)
  • Typed SFH/condo/land/new-vs-resale (city Realtracs): GAP
  • Builder marketing floors ≠ sold MLS bands

Census QuickFacts: Pop Jul 1, 2025 171,178 (+12.0% vs 2020 base); 2020 Census 152,769; mean commute 26.7 min; median HH income $80,108; bachelor’s+ 43.0%. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rutherfordcountytennessee,murfreesborocitytennessee/PST045225

Rutherford County Courthouse on the Murfreesboro Public Square
Rutherford County Courthouse · Public Square

Who’s moving in

City (Census / TNSDC, as-of 2026-09-11) — FACT only; label city vs county vs metro. No vibe fluff.

County / metro (labeled): Rutherford County +6,266 residents 2024→2025 (2nd-largest numeric gain in TN after Davidson) — TNSDC https://tnsdc.utk.edu/2026/03/30/davidson-holds-as-tennessees-fastest-growing-county-in-2025/. Nashville MSA U-Haul Growth Index metro No. 6 in 2025 (metro DIY, not city-only). Tennessean (Jan 6, 2026) names Murfreesboro on U-Haul TN growth-areas list (directional). Historical only: Murfreesboro No. 21 on U-Haul 2023 national growth cities — not in 2025 top 25.

GAP: No 2025 U-Haul national top-25 city-proper rank; no city-only Census components-of-change; timed I-24 peak ETA; ACS city migration origin flows. Do not invent “young family influx.”

Schools

District split (FACT): Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS) — Pre-K–6 for many in-city addresses (13 campuses) · 2552 South Church Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37127 · 615-893-2313 · https://www.cityschools.net/schools. Rutherford County Schools (RCS) — middle + high for all Murfreesboro addresses; elementary outside MCS zones + some in-city RCS elementaries (e.g. Barfield). Some addresses inside city limits are RCS for elementary — verify by address. Never assign by ZIP.

Zone maps: MCS Edulog https://ewa2.edulogweb.com/murfreetn1web/webquery/ · RCS ArcGIS https://rcschools.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=14d1c295f9e4435e8dec64d492795ce7 · RCS bus/rezoning https://www.rcschools.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?pREC_ID=1041401&type=d&uREC_ID=526088. Phased RCS rezoning: HS zones Aug 2025; MS zones Aug 2026.

MCS elementary (GS PRIMARY, 2026-09-11): Discovery @ Bellwood 9/10 · Erma Siegel 8/10 · Overall Creek 7/10 · Bradley / John Pittard / Northfield / Reeves-Rogers / Salem 6/10 · Black Fox / Cason Lane / Hobgood 5/10 · Mitchell-Neilson / Scales 4/10. Maps links in pack MAP_PINS.

RCS high: Central Magnet 9/10 · Blackman / Oakland / Rockvale 8/10 · Siegel 7/10 · Riverdale 6/10.

RCS middle (named): Siegel / Blackman / Oakland / Whitworth-Buchanan — all 8/10. Rockvale MS / Christiana MS GS IDs: GAP.

RCS ES examples: Barfield 7/10 · Homer Pittard Campus 9/10 · McFadden School of Excellence 7/10.

Private (no invented tuition): Middle Tennessee Christian School (100 East MTCS Road) · Providence Christian Academy (410 Dejarnette Lane).

Industries / employers

Named employers / industries (chamber / ED / campus, as-of 2026-09-11) — prefer names over invented headcounts:

  • MTSU — 1301 East Main Street, 37132 — Fall 2025 headcount 21,025 (President report) / Metrics 20,812 — label both; do not invent a third — Maps
  • Amazon Murfreesboro (BNA3) — 2020 Joe B. Jackson Parkway, 37127 — Maps
  • Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford — 1700 Medical Center Pkwy — Maps
  • City of Murfreesboro — municipal workforce
  • Nissan North America — Smyrna plant — county/corridor (not city plant)
  • Rutherford County Gov + BOE — countywide
  • Pivotal Partners — Nashville Chamber list (name only; site address GAP)

Industries: higher ed, healthcare, e-commerce/logistics, auto corridor, food/bev & distribution (Coca-Cola Consolidated, General Mills, Ingram, ICEE on Rutherford Works), retail/hospitality. Chamber: https://nashvillechamber.com/economic-development/our-region/rutherford-county/

James E. Walker Library exterior on the Middle Tennessee State University campus in Murfreesboro
MTSU Walker Library · campus exterior

Retail & everyday

Retail anchors in city (as-of 2026-09-11):

  • Target — 1851 Old Fort Pkwy (Starbucks Cafe inside) — Maps
  • Costco — 1524 Beasie Rd — Maps
  • Sam’s Club #6501 — 125 John R Rice Blvd — Maps
  • Walmart Supercenters — 2900 S Rutherford Blvd; 140 Joe B Jackson Pkwy
  • Walmart Neighborhood Markets — 1153 Fortress Blvd; 2478 New Salem Hwy
  • The Avenue Murfreesboro — 2615 Medical Center Pkwy (~853k SF) — https://theavenuemurfreesboro.com/visit — Maps

Starbucks: at least 7 named points (company-owned + licensed + Target cafe) — re-verify live locator. Restaurants: Marina’s on the Square (125 N Maple); Puckett’s (114 N Church); The Alley on Main (223 West Main).

Hospitals & medical

  • Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital — 1700 Medical Center Pkwy, 37129 · 615-396-4100 — Maps
  • Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Westlawn — 5127 Veterans Pkwy, 37128 · 629-543-6000 — Maps
  • Middle Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center — 1800 Medical Center Pkwy Suite 120 — Maps

Urgent-care suite addresses: GAP this pass — do not invent. Nearest out-of-city hospital: TriStar StoneCrest (Smyrna) — proximity only.

Gyms & recreation

Parks & Rec admin: 2140 N. Thompson Lane · 615-890-5333. Full commercial gym roster beyond Planet Fitness: GAP.

Parks & trails

Barfield trails: city cites over 7 miles paved/unpaved within the park.

Civil War-era Wiard cannon at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro
Stones River National Battlefield

Historic & famous places

  • Stones River National Battlefield — VC 3501 Old Nashville Highway; main entrance 1563 North Thompson Lane — Maps VC
  • Cannonsburgh Village — 312 South Front Street — Maps
  • Rutherford County Courthouse / Public Square — 20 N Public Square (1859; NRHP 1973) — Maps
  • Oaklands Mansion — 901 North Maney Avenue — Maps
  • Discovery Center at Murfree Spring — 502 SE Broad St
  • MTSU / Chris Young Cafe — 1301 East Main Street campus

FACT only — verify visitation hours. Full NRHP inventory: GAP.

Civil War-era Wiard cannon at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro
Stones River National Battlefield

Builders & new construction

Verified selling communities (builder primaries, as-of 2026-09-11). Re-open URLs before quoting prices. Marketing “from $” ≠ MLS sold bands.

  • Richland Downs (Ryan) — 4433 Richland Downs Drive — Selling from $369,990+ — Maps
  • Magnolia Grove Reserve (Ryan) — 4023 Clara Woods Way — Interest list / homesites coming — label carefully — Maps
  • Glenview Farms (Pulte) — 2510 Havenstone Lane — Selling $499,990+ — Maps
  • River Landing (D.R. Horton) — 4121 Oswin Drive — Now Selling ~$379,990 — Maps
  • Farmhouse Downs (Lennar) — 2908 Haven Drive — Actively selling — Maps
  • Arbors at Compton (Lennar) — 3413 Dench Drive — Actively selling — Maps
  • Avery Farms Legacy (Meritage) — 2905 Citrine Drive — Now selling from $399,990 — Maps
  • Avery Farms Ridge (Meritage) — 1721 Garnet Way — Now selling from $391,490 — Maps

Century Communities city landing exists — GAP for specific selling community name/address. Do not invent.

Notable people

Corroborated ties (as-of 2026-09-11):

  • Chris Young — Born/raised Murfreesboro; Oakland High; attended MTSU; Chris Young Cafe on campus; TN Music Pathways marker (MTSU News; AllMusic).
  • Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D. — Murfreesboro native; NASA astronaut / physician (Rutherford County Historical Society).
  • Bart Gordon — Born Murfreesboro; MTSU alum; former U.S. Representative TN-6.
  • James M. Buchanan — Born/raised Murfreesboro claim in standard bios; Nobel economist — use carefully with birthplace primary if publishing.
  • Colton Dixon — From Murfreesboro on bio listings; prefer local press corroboration before heavy use.
  • Audrey Whitby — Birth only / thin residency — optional.

GAP: Do not stretch athletes with only brief MTSU enrollment and no hometown claim.

Source: NOTABLE_PEOPLE.md.

Map of local places

Places from Research MAP_PINS (FACT). Verify hours and visitation rules. Pins also appear on the map when coordinates are filed.

Next steps

Map

Murfreesboro on the map

Interactive OpenStreetMap. Amenity pins appear when Research files MAP_PINS. Verify schools and flood zones per address.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Places on this map

From Research MAP_PINS. Links open Google Maps.

Talk through Murfreesboro

Call or text 615-943-1644, use the tools, or contact me.

Call 615-943-1644 Contact Tools Rutherford County guide

General informational purposes only — not an appraisal, and not legal, tax, insurance, or lending advice. Flood zones, HOA rules, school assignments, and property conditions must be verified per address. Detailed amenity/market sections appear only when a rich Research area pack is complete. City boundaries follow Tennessee’s official city list.

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