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Guide updated October 2026
“The Mule Town of Middle Tennessee”
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The quick answer
Columbia is the Maury County seat, about 46 miles south of Nashville — a 50-60 minute drive, longer in traffic. The city centers on a restored National Register downtown square plus the James K. Polk Ancestral Home. Distance is the trade-off: Columbia fits local employment, the Spring Hill GM/Ultium corridor, and remote or hybrid work better than a daily office commute.
Columbia is the county seat of Maury County, a historic town anchored by a restored downtown square ringed by Federal, Victorian, and 19th-century architecture, local shops, antique stores, and the county courthouse. Its commercial historic district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984, and the city maintains five designated historic districts plus the James K. Polk Ancestral Home, the only surviving residence (other than the White House) of the 11th U.S. President. It sits at the southern edge of the Nashville metro, just below Spring Hill and the General Motors/Ultium Cells plant corridor, which has driven recent growth and battery-manufacturing investment in the region. The town tends to suit buyers drawn to a walkable historic downtown and small-town pace, and remote or hybrid workers comfortable with a longer Nashville commute. Children in Columbia are served by Maury County Public Schools, the county's pre-K–12 district. The honest tradeoff is distance: a downtown-Nashville commute is roughly 46 miles and can run close to an hour each way and longer in rush-hour traffic, so Columbia fits day-to-day-local lifestyles better than daily Nashville office commutes.
457 homes for sale in Columbia right now
Active listings as of 2026-10-17 · Source: Realtracs via MLS GRID
Source: Realtracs via MLS GRID · retrieved 2026-09-06
↓ $20,000 · Oct 171 / 6$429,000
1401 Manor Rd
Columbia, TN, 38401
Windermere Sec 1 · Single level · Main-level primary
“OWNER HAS FOUND A NEW HOME AND WANTS THIS SOLD! Stunning ranch-style home situated on a…”
1 day on market
Listed by Compass Tennessee, LLC · MLS# 3250356
Active · (615) 475-5616
↓ $5,0001 / 6$414,995
3525 Fellowship Rd
Columbia, TN, 38401
The Summit at Carters Station · Single level · Main-level primary
“Lot 448 - The Firefly. A thoughtfully designed 1827 sq ft floor plan featuring 4 bedrooms…”
2 days on market
Listed by Starlight Homes Tennessee · MLS# 3513577
Active · (629) 736-2929
$437,200
1513 Bear Branch Trce
Columbia, TN, 38401
Bear Springs · Main-level primary · New construction
“Brand new, energy-efficient home! Unwind at the end of the day in the private first-floor…”
5 days on market
Listed by Meritage Homes of Tennessee, Inc. · MLS# 3124427
Active · (615) 486-3655
↓ $25,9001 / 6$170,000
1931 Bear Creek Pike
Columbia, TN, 38401
Manufactured On Land · Acreage · Single level
“Large doublewide manufactured home on 2.86 acres. Private setting with small creek…”
6 days on market
Listed by Southern Showcase Real Estate Services · MLS# 3309302
Active · (615) 446-0902
↓ $15,000$479,990
4021 Red Hawk Rd
Columbia, TN, 38401
Reserve at Hickory Ridge · Main-level primary · New construction
“30 YEAR FIXED RATES AS LOW AS 5.50% + $12,000 TOWARDS CLOSING COST WITH OUR LENDER- ALL…”
6 days on market
Listed by D.R. Horton · MLS# 3603745
Active · (629) 205-9240
$561,940
4329 Scarlet Ct
Columbia, TN, 38401
Reserve at Hickory Ridge · 3-car garage · Single level
“30 YEAR FIXED RATES AS LOW AS 5.50% + $12,000 TOWARDS CLOSING COST WITH OUR LENDER-ALL…”
6 days on market
Listed by D.R. Horton · MLS# 3603750
Active · (629) 205-9240
Listings courtesy of Realtracs as distributed by MLS GRID
IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal noncommercial use, may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed by MLS GRID. Use of the MLS GRID Data may be subject to an end user license agreement prescribed by the Member Participant’s applicable MLS if any and as amended from time to time.
Based on information submitted to the MLS GRID as of October 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM CDT. All data is obtained from various sources and may not have been verified by broker or MLS GRID. Supplied Open House Information is subject to change without notice. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.
Some IDX listings have been excluded from this website.
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Questions people ask about Columbia
Columbia is the Maury County seat, about 46 miles south of Nashville, and its downtown square is the reason people fall for it — a restored National Register district of nineteenth-century storefronts with the county courthouse in the middle, shops, antiques and restaurants around it. Mule Day, the spring festival rooted in the county's agricultural history, is the event the town is known for statewide.
The James K. Polk Ancestral Home is here, the Duck River and Riverwalk Park run along the edge of downtown, and Maury Regional Medical Center is the flagship of a regional health system. Farmland sits on three sides, with newer subdivisions pushing north toward Spring Hill. It is a real town with its own center, at the far edge of the metro.
Orientation: Maury County is south of Williamson County, and Columbia is its seat. Spring Hill sits between them and shares Maury County's southern half, which is why the two towns come up together constantly. Columbia is older, has the square, and prices differently.
Practically, the market splits between the historic core near the square — where the houses are old and the renovation questions are real — and the newer subdivisions on the north side toward Spring Hill. The Ultium Cells battery plant at the GM complex is the employment story shaping the county, and The Drake is the downtown redevelopment worth knowing about.
About 50 to 60 minutes to downtown Nashville, longer in rush-hour traffic. You run the interstate north through Spring Hill, Franklin and Brentwood, which means you pick up their congestion as well as your own.
This is a town where the local job base matters. Maury Regional, Columbia State Community College and the Spring Hill manufacturing complex are all close, and a large share of Columbia works within the county. If downtown Nashville is your office five days a week, be honest with yourself about this number.
Yes — there are active new-construction communities, mostly on the north side of town in the direction of Spring Hill, where the county's growth has concentrated.
The usual new-build cautions apply: the on-site agent represents the builder, the contract is the builder's paper, and incentives are typically tied to the builder's lender. Have your own representation at the first appointment — it is little or no cost to you; how it is paid is settled per offer, in writing.
We don't rate schools and we don't characterize any area as safe or otherwise — those are your calls to make, from the official record, and an agent who makes them for you is doing you a disservice. What we will do is hand you the primary sources and get out of the way.
Zoning is set by address, not by subdivision name, so the district's own school-locator tool is the only answer that holds for the specific house you're looking at. Our sources page links the Tennessee Department of Education report card, the district lookups, and the official crime-data portals, with no commentary from us on any of them.
What's changing in Columbia
Updated October 2026The marquee development reshaping Maury County is the Ultium Cells battery-cell plant in the Maury County portion of Spring Hill. It is a General Motors and LG Energy Solution joint venture with roughly $2.6 billion in committed investment, a 2.8-million-square-foot facility and a workforce of around 1,700, and it now also makes lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for energy storage. In Columbia proper, The Drake is the largest current project in the city center. It is a six-story, 293-unit luxury apartment building one block off the historic downtown square.
MARQUEE PROJECT: Ultium Cells (Spring Hill, Maury County). The single biggest development reshaping the county is the Ultium Cells LLC battery-cell manufacturing plant, a GM and LG Energy Solution joint venture. It was announced in April 2021 as a $2.3 billion investment, then expanded in December 2022 with an additional $275 million commitment, bringing committed investment to roughly $2.6 billion. The plant is a 2.8-million-square-foot facility, and its workforce is expected to reach roughly 1,700.
The Ultium plant sits in Spring Hill, which straddles the Maury-Williamson county line. This facility is in the Maury County portion, next to GM's Spring Hill Manufacturing assembly plant. It is among the county's largest single capital investments, though it is north of Columbia proper, not in the city itself.
2026 STATUS: strategic pivot, now in production. Slowing EV demand led to a furlough of about 700 workers in January 2026. In March 2026, Ultium announced a roughly $70 million retooling to produce lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy-storage systems serving grid-scale and AI-data-center demand, with the furloughed employees being retrained to support the new product line. In July 2026, Ultium confirmed that LFP energy-storage battery production had begun at Spring Hill and that the conversion took less than five months. The batteries are supplied through LG Energy Solution Vertech, LG Energy Solution's North American energy-storage systems subsidiary.
MARQUEE DOWNTOWN-COLUMBIA PROJECT: The Drake (The Drake on the Square). Within Columbia proper, the largest current project is The Drake, a six-story, 293-unit luxury apartment building with ground-floor retail. It sits on a 2.78-acre site at Woodland Street and East 7th Street (714 Woodland Street), one block east of the historic public square. The developer is Franklin-based Bristol Development Group. The project broke ground in 2024 with an early-2026 completion target. As of October 2026, the developer's own sites still list it as 'Coming 2026,' with studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. It has been reported as the downtown core's first upscale multifamily development. Available sourcing does not confirm a specific dollar investment.
OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS (context). Maury Regional Medical Center is undertaking a major expansion and renovation. The former Columbia Mall area is being redeveloped. The city is also investing in infrastructure, including a new wastewater treatment plant. Dollar figures and timelines for these secondary projects vary by source and are not fully confirmed here.
BOTTOM LINE. Measured by capital and economic impact, the Ultium Cells battery plant (about $2.6B and about 1,700 jobs) is the marquee regional development, with the caveat that it sits in the Maury County part of Spring Hill, not Columbia city. For Columbia's own downtown core, The Drake (293 units) is the headline project, and the developer lists it as coming in 2026.
New food, drink and retail activity in Columbia is concentrated in the downtown historic district and around the square, at The Factory at Columbia, and along the James Campbell Boulevard corridor. The list below covers openings from 2024 through 2026 plus projects with public announcements, each checked against local reporting or official business listings.
Craft brewery and taproom at 104 E. 5th St. in downtown Columbia, an additional location for Twisted Copper Brewing. House beers on tap include a Mexican lager, a helles, a West Coast session IPA, a hazy IPA, a hefeweizen and a chocolate stout.
Bar / Brewery · opened June 2026 (ribbon-cutting June 11, 2026)
Barbershop on the historic Columbia Square from Noah Peters, an American Idol alum known online as The Singing Barber, who pairs haircuts with music. It is open Monday through Saturday.
New spot · opened June 2026 (grand opening June 16, 2026)
Texas-based burger chain at 195 E. James Campbell Blvd., the first Whataburger location in Columbia. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Restaurant · opened May 2026 (ribbon-cutting May 19, 2026)
Jewelry and gift shop at 1205 S. James Campbell Blvd. carrying fine jewelry, vintage crystal and gift items. It held a ribbon-cutting with the Maury Alliance in June 2026.
Retail · opened 2026 (ribbon-cutting June 9, 2026)
Italian restaurant at The Factory at Columbia, 101 N. James M. Campbell Blvd., serving Italian dishes in a sit-down setting. It is listed among the development's current tenants, established 2025.
Restaurant · opened 2025
Artisan bakery at The Factory at Columbia, 101 N. James M. Campbell Blvd., drawing on European baking traditions. It is listed among the development's current tenants.
Grocery / Food hall · open; opening date not published
Saloon and restaurant at 111 W. 7th St. in downtown Columbia, serving a casual menu paired with craft cocktails, a wine list and a full liquor selection.
Bar / Brewery · opened 2025 (ribbon-cutting February 6, 2025)
Outdoor wine bar and event space planned for a restored former Esso service station in downtown Columbia, a project of American Pickers host Mike Wolfe. Plans include a pergola, firepit, stage and vintage gas pumps next to Prime & Pint; an opening date has not been publicized.
Bar / Brewery · announced 2025; opening date not publicized
Butcher shop and public house at 105 E. 6th St. in downtown Columbia, pairing a retail butchery counter with a scratch kitchen and bar.
Restaurant · opened 2024 (ribbon-cutting May 29, 2024)
Cafe and lounge at The Factory at Columbia, 101 N. James M. Campbell Blvd., opened by Sara and Andrew Carlton. It serves breakfast and lunch with dinner on select evenings, drawing on French, Mexican, Italian, Southern, contemporary American and Middle Eastern cooking, and has a full coffee bar with gluten-free and vegan options.
Restaurant · opened early 2024
Locally owned cafe and coffee shop at 1201 N. Commerce St. from David and Betsy Wood, rebranded from Towne Coffee in 2026. It serves made-to-order breakfast, lunch, baked goods and chef-driven specials alongside handcrafted coffee drinks.
Coffee · opened December 2023 (ribbon-cutting March 27, 2024); rebranded 2026
Fast-casual Chinese chain under construction at the former Sloan Ford dealership site on James Campbell Blvd. It is one of three businesses planned for the property, alongside Whataburger and a credit union.
Restaurant · announced 2026; under construction
Redevelopment of the former enclosed Columbia Mall into an open-air retail center led by Highland Capital, working with Retail Strategies and the City of Columbia Industrial Development Board. Announced tenants include Ulta Beauty, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Five Below and Bealls.
Retail · announced 2025; phased openings
Restaurant, bar and songwriter-round venue at 807 S. Garden St. in Columbia, just off the downtown square, serving comfort food alongside bourbon, whiskey and cocktails, with ticketed Nashville-style writers rounds and space for private events.
Bar / Brewery · open as of 2026 (ribbon-cutting August 20, 2026)
Barbecue restaurant at 307 W. 11th St. in Columbia serving Texas-style brisket and Tennessee pulled pork as plates, sandwiches and tacos, plus signature nachos. The recipes have been passed down through three generations.
Restaurant · opened March 2025 (ribbon-cutting March 5, 2025)
We document 19 new-construction communities in Columbia — builders, floor plans, amenities, and what each one is actually like on the ground. Buyer representation on new construction is often little or no cost to you; how it is paid is settled per offer, in writing.
Choosing an agent in Columbia
A plain-language, source-cited guide to choosing a real estate agent in Columbia, TN for 2026 — current market data, the questions to ask before hiring, and how The Will Johnson Team (eXp Realty) approaches Maury County transactions.
Figures reviewed July 2026. We pull current, address-level comparables before any offer.
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The median home price in Columbia is approximately $449,990 (as of April–May 2026, Redfin/Zillow/Movoto and others). Prices vary by street and home type, so verify current pricing against active comparable sales when you're ready to make an offer.
Columbia is approximately 50–60 minutes (about 46 miles; longer in rush-hour traffic) from downtown Nashville, depending on traffic and your specific route.
Columbia is the historic seat of Maury County, a city of roughly 45,000 with a revived Federal-and-Victorian downtown square, sitting just south of Spring Hill about 46 miles from Nashville. It's commonly a fit for buyers wanting a larger home or lot, history and downtown-square lovers, buyers seeking land or acreage, remote and hybrid workers, Spring Hill / GM–Ultium plant workers.
Areas commonly searched in Columbia include Historic Downtown / the Square, Arden Village, Grove Park, Carters Station, Polo Fields, Spring Meade. We can pull recent comparable sales and tell you what's currently driving demand in each, so you can decide what fits.
The Will Johnson Team (eXp Realty) works Columbia regularly — a 5.0-rated team on Google and Zillow, RealTrends Verified 2026, licensed in Tennessee since 2013, and quoted as an expert source by CBS MoneyWatch and Bottom Line Personal. Call 615-265-1000 to talk through buying or selling in Columbia — the first conversation carries no commitment.
Columbia is the Maury County seat, about 46 miles south of Nashville, and its downtown square is the reason people fall for it — a restored National Register district of nineteenth-century storefronts with the county courthouse in the middle, shops, antiques and restaurants around it. Mule Day, the spring festival rooted in the county's agricultural history, is the event the town is known for statewide. The James K. Polk Ancestral Home is here, the Duck River and Riverwalk Park run along the edge of downtown, and Maury Regional Medical Center is the flagship of a regional health system. Farmland sits on three sides, with newer subdivisions pushing north toward Spring Hill. It is a real town with its own center, at the far edge of the metro.
Orientation: Maury County is south of Williamson County, and Columbia is its seat. Spring Hill sits between them and shares Maury County's southern half, which is why the two towns come up together constantly. Columbia is older, has the square, and prices differently. Practically, the market splits between the historic core near the square — where the houses are old and the renovation questions are real — and the newer subdivisions on the north side toward Spring Hill. The Ultium Cells battery plant at the GM complex is the employment story shaping the county, and The Drake is the downtown redevelopment worth knowing about.
About 50 to 60 minutes to downtown Nashville, longer in rush-hour traffic. You run the interstate north through Spring Hill, Franklin and Brentwood, which means you pick up their congestion as well as your own. This is a town where the local job base matters. Maury Regional, Columbia State Community College and the Spring Hill manufacturing complex are all close, and a large share of Columbia works within the county. If downtown Nashville is your office five days a week, be honest with yourself about this number.
Yes — there are active new-construction communities, mostly on the north side of town in the direction of Spring Hill, where the county's growth has concentrated. The usual new-build cautions apply: the on-site agent represents the builder, the contract is the builder's paper, and incentives are typically tied to the builder's lender. Have your own representation at the first appointment — it is little or no cost to you; how it is paid is settled per offer, in writing.
We don't rate schools and we don't characterize any area as safe or otherwise — those are your calls to make, from the official record, and an agent who makes them for you is doing you a disservice. What we will do is hand you the primary sources and get out of the way. Zoning is set by address, not by subdivision name, so the district's own school-locator tool is the only answer that holds for the specific house you're looking at. Our sources page links the Tennessee Department of Education report card, the district lookups, and the official crime-data portals, with no commentary from us on any of them.
Sumner County
Current comps on request
Williamson County
$1,444,136–$1,600,000 median (May–June 2026, Redfin/Zillow/Orchard)
Williamson County
$925,000 median (June 2026, RealTracs)
Sumner County
Current comps on request
One page per matchup: what each town is actually like, the current listing figures side by side with their sources, drive times, and the trade-offs. Columbia appears in 24 of them.
Pick Columbia and any other Middle TN area to see them side-by-side: median price, drive time, walk score, lifestyle character.
About the authors
Will Johnson leads The Will Johnson Team at eXp Realty, serving buyers and sellers across Middle Tennessee — Columbia, Nashville, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Sumner County, Brentwood, Franklin, Mount Juliet, Murfreesboro and the surrounding communities. A U.S. Army veteran who served 14 years and rose to the rank of Major, and a former ICU nurse and nurse anesthetist (CRNA) who graduated with a 4.0 from MTSA, he has been licensed in Tennessee since 2013 (license #330494); in the last 12 months (as of 2026) the team has closed $27.7 million in volume across 64 transactions. The team holds a 5.0 rating on Google and Zillow, is RealTrends Verified 2026, has been featured as an expert source by CBS MoneyWatch and Bottom Line Personal, and can be reached at 615-265-1000.
Equal Housing Opportunity · Licensed in Tennessee and regulated by the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TN #330494) · The Will Johnson Team is affiliated with eXp Realty · This page is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
