When I get a call from someone in Los Angeles planning a move to a place like Franklin, their first expectation is a much cheaper home. (I touch on this in our Relocation Brief)

That’s usually where the first surprise shows up.

As the numbers come into focus, they start to see where the real value actually is and it’s not limited to purchase price.

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with a steady flow of people moving from Los Angeles, Calabasas, and surrounding areas into Franklin, Brentwood, and Williamson County.

For every person who actually makes the move, there are several more seriously considering it.

Almost all of them come in with the same assumption: everything is going to cost less in Tennessee.

In many ways, that’s true. (cost of living)

But once you look at median prices, compare single-family home types, examine financing limits, and pay attention to what buyers actually get for the money, the picture gets more interesting—and in some cases, surprising.

When you look at strictly the median home price, Williamson County now rivals Los Angeles County.

As of recent data:

Williamson County median home price: approximately $900–920k*

Los Angeles County median home price: approximately $900–950k*

That catches most people off guard.

Los Angeles is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. 

Williamson County sits just outside Nashville, where the expectation is that you should get significantly more for your money. After all, people make the move to get more for their money.

But median price only tells part of the story.

What matters is what type of inventory actually exists in each market—and how buyers are interacting with it.

This is where a lot of California to Franklin or Los Angeles to Nashville buyers start to see the real difference between their initial expectations and reality.

Median price only tells you where the broader market sits.

But once buyers start comparing single-family homes in similar price ranges, the product difference becomes obvious.

In Los Angeles County, a typical single-family home in this price range often looks like:

1,600–2,000 square feet
Built between the 1940s and 1980s
Smaller lot sizes
Dense, established neighborhoods
Higher property taxes

In Williamson County—places like Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, and Thompson’s Station—the same price range often buys:

3,000–4,500+ square feet
Newer construction (often 2000–2024)
Larger lots
Suburban or semi-rural settings
Lower property taxes compared to Los Angeles

Same capital. Very different housing product.

In many cases, you’re getting close to twice the house in Williamson County compared to Los Angeles.

One of the most overlooked drivers of housing markets is the availability of financing.

Both Los Angeles County and Williamson County are shaped by relatively high conforming loan limits, which quietly define where most buyers are actually able to compete. High loan limits support higher home prices.

Los Angeles (LA) County conforming limit: $1,249,125

Williamson County conforming limit: $1,029,250

Both are well above the national baseline conforming loan limit of $832,750.

Higher loan limits increase how much buyers can borrow, which helps support higher home prices—but they also play a role in keeping those prices elevated.

The gap between these two markets isn’t as wide as people expect when it comes to financing power. This is one reason the discount in Tennessee isnt always as much as people think.

Those limits create what I refer to as “loan shelves”—price bands where buyer demand clusters based on loan structure and down payment.

That’s why you’ll see:

•certain price ranges move faster than others

•competition show up in very specific bands

•pricing behave differently depending on where a home sits

•prices jump once a market pushes into the next financing tier

The price shelves—and where most buyers are actually competing—are often one of the more interesting things for buyers to see once they understand how the market is structured. It helps explain high demand for certain types of homes.

For a deeper breakdown:
→ Conforming Loan Limits: Los Angeles County vs Williamson County

→ Understanding the Williamson County Loan Shelves

→ Understanding the LA County Loan Shelves

Its interesting to see the price points where CA buyers and TN sellers intersect. (Or vice versa)

If both markets are supported by strong borrowing capacity—and demand is concentrated into specific financing bands—pricing pressure builds in similar ways, even in very different places.

At the same time, what’s being purchased in each market is completely different. And each market faces unique market forces.

Los Angeles County has:

•Global demand
•Job density
•Land constraints
•Established infrastructure

Williamson County and the greater Nashville area have:

•Strong inbound migration
•Newer housing stock
•High quality of life

•Larger homes per capita
•Continued economic growth

When demand builds in a market with newer, larger homes—and buyers have access to similar levels of financing—prices can compress quickly within those bands.

Add relocation into the mix—buyers bringing equity from more expensive markets—and you get another layer of pressure.

That’s how two very different markets can start to show similar pricing at a high level, even while delivering completely different housing.

The biggest differences don’t show up in the headline numbers.

They show up once you’re in the process.

Buyers aren't just getting larger homes they're purchasing different types of homes.

Things like:
buying homes on acreage vs. standard suburban lots

septic systems, wells, and rural infrastructure

Riverfront and lakeside property 

flood zones and land-related considerations

new construction timelines and builder contracts

how homes appraise in newer, fast-growing areas

These aren’t always obvious upfront, but they can materially affect both financing and how a deal comes together. Adding layers to inspections appraisals and general decisions.

It’s also where a lot of buyers coming from California run into things they haven’t had to think about before.

And in many cases, these details matter more than the advertised list price.

If you want a deeper look at that side of it:
→ Why Financing Works Differently in Los Angeles vs Williamson County

Even buyers coming from California with significant equity are often surprised by how much prices have moved in the greater Nashville area.

The homes they’re looking at may be larger, newer, and on bigger lots—but they still land in price ranges they were hoping to avoid.

A $1M seller in Los Angeles expecting to find something comparable in Franklin for $500,000 usually runs into a different reality.

That gap has narrowed.

Even when pricing starts to converge in certain segments, people continue relocating from California to Tennessee.

Not because one market is simply cheaper—but because the tradeoffs make sense for them.

More space. Different pace. Newer housing. Different economic opportunities. Ease of living.

Then you start layering in everything else—insurance, utilities, gas, service costs, childcare, car registration, income tax.

At that point, the overall equation still leans clearly toward Tennessee.

For a full cost comparison:
→ Los Angeles County vs Williamson County Complete Cost of Living Comparison

For a broader look at how these moves actually work:
→ California to Tennessee Overview

At a glance, Los Angeles County and Williamson County look like completely different housing markets.

And they are.

But when you strip it down to capital, financing, and what home buyers actually receive, the comparison becomes less obvious.

The numbers don’t always behave the way people expect.

And that’s usually where the most important decisions get made.

That’s also where a simple move across states becomes a much more nuanced decision.

*(Sources: local MLS data and Redfin/Zillow market summaries, 2025–early 2026)