When a buyer moving to Franklin, Tennessee has $2 million or more to spend, the search almost always narrows to four neighborhoods: Westhaven, Laurelbrooke, Legends Ridge and The Grove. Five things separate them: whether the community is gated, whether it sits inside Franklin city limits, how much land comes with a home, what the HOA and club cost, and how far it is from downtown Franklin and Nashville.

The short answer: only Westhaven is inside the City of Franklin, and it is the only one without a gate. The other three are gated and sit in unincorporated Williamson County, paying county property tax only. Westhaven has the smallest lots, the lowest entry price and the most sales, Legends Ridge the most land, Laurelbrooke the highest average sale, and The Grove is the newest. Figures come from the MLS pull behind Lorene Hetherington’s October 2026 video and Williamson County’s 2026 tax rates.

The Four Neighborhoods Side by Side

Three tables cover the questions luxury buyers ask first. Prices are MLS closed sales for the 12 months to October 2026 unless noted, from The Hetherington Team’s analysis for Lorene’s video. HOA dues are as of October 2026.

Gates, City Limits, Land and HOA

Prices and Market Pace

School Zones, 2026-27

All four are in Williamson County Schools. These are the 2026-27 zone assignments in the Williamson County Schools zone lookup, checked October 2026. Zones can change and can split a street, so verify any specific address with Williamson County Schools before you make an offer.

The City Limits Question, and What It Does to Your Tax Bill

A Franklin mailing address does not mean a home is inside the City of Franklin. On the Tennessee Comptroller’s municipal boundary map, Westhaven sits inside the city, while Laurelbrooke, Legends Ridge and The Grove sit outside any city in unincorporated Williamson County.

The practical difference is property tax. Tennessee assesses a home at 25% of its appraised value and applies the tax rate to each $100 of that assessed value. Williamson County’s 2026 rate sheet sets the county rate at $1.30 per $100 outside any city. Inside Franklin city limits, for homes zoned to Williamson County Schools rather than the Franklin Special School District, the county portion is $1.27 and the City of Franklin adds $0.296, for $1.566 in total.

That is about $1,995 a year more inside the city on a $3 million home, the roughly $2,000 in Lorene’s video description. One caution: your bill is figured from the Williamson County Assessor’s appraised value, which can differ from your purchase price, and the county last reappraised in 2025.

Sources: Williamson County 2026 Property Tax Rates sheet; Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, How to Calculate Your Tax Bill; Tennessee Comptroller municipal boundary data. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm a specific property’s bill with the Williamson County Trustee or Assessor of Property.

Westhaven: Inside the City, Walkable, Every Price Point

Westhaven sits on the west side of Franklin off Highway 96, about three miles from downtown Franklin. It is the largest of the four by far, about 2,500 homes, and builders are still building there.

What sets it apart is the village center: more than 30 shops and businesses, a grocery store, a Vanderbilt doctor’s office and Pearre Creek Elementary, all inside the neighborhood. Amenities include several pools, a community center with workout classes, tennis, pickleball and nine miles of trails. One thing buyers tell us they love is that no two houses look alike.

Westhaven also has the lowest entry price and the most sales of the four: 200 closings, more than the other three combined. In the 12 months to October 2026, 200 homes closed there, from $950,000 to just under $6 million, averaging just under $1.8 million at about $476 a square foot. About 30% sold for more than $2 million, and $2 million bought roughly a 4,000-square-foot home. Homes averaged about 31 days on market, with sellers receiving about 98% of their price.

The trade-off is land. Most Westhaven lots are a tenth to a quarter of an acre, so neighbors are close, and anyone who wants an acre and privacy should look elsewhere. HOA dues run about $250 to $265 a month for most single-family homes as of October 2026, covering the community center, pools, trails and parks; dues vary by section, and golf club membership is separate. For the cost of buying new versus resale inside Westhaven, see our Westhaven new construction vs resale guide.

Laurelbrooke: Gated, Established and Fast-Moving

Laurelbrooke is on the north side of Franklin off Sneed Road, a couple of minutes from Hillsboro Road, which is why buyers who will commute toward Nashville often start here. It is gated, with about 300 homes on nearly 600 acres of green space and lakes, built by Southern Land Company, the same developer behind Westhaven.

Laurelbrooke began in the early 2000s, so most homes are 20 to 25 years old, on lots of about half an acre and up under mature trees, with tennis courts and a pool. HOA dues are about $470 a month as of October 2026, about double Westhaven’s, and the gate is much of what buyers are paying for.

It is also the most competitive of the four. Only 12 homes closed in the 12 months to October 2026, starting around $2 million to $2.5 million and averaging about $4 million. The top sale was $11.7 million for a home of about 14,000 square feet on almost two and a half acres. The average time on market was 27 days, but that figure is pulled up by two homes that sat for months; without them, most Laurelbrooke homes sold in about four days. Buyers here need financing and a decision ready before the listing appears. Our Laurelbrooke neighborhood guide covers the sections and amenities in detail.

Legends Ridge: The Most Land of the Four

Legends Ridge is also on Franklin’s north side, off Berrys Chapel Road near Hillsboro Road. It is a smaller gated community with a pool and clubhouse, and where Laurelbrooke is estate homes in the woods, Legends Ridge is about land: lots run about an acre and up, and some are 5 to 7 acres.

Fifteen homes sold in Legends Ridge in the 12 months to October 2026, from $1.6 million to $5.5 million. They took just under two months to sell on average and closed at about 96% of list price, the most negotiating room of the four in this pull. Lorene’s read from showing homes there: most are around 25 years old and approaching the stage where roofs, kitchens and baths need updating, and price reflects that. For a buyer who wants to renovate to their own taste, that is an opening.

HOA dues are billed quarterly and work out to roughly $200 to $300 a month depending on the home and the land, as of October 2026. Legends Ridge shares Grassland Middle and Franklin High zoning with Laurelbrooke. More in our Legends Ridge neighborhood guide.

The Grove: Newest, Built Around Golf, and Not in Franklin

The Grove appears in nearly every Franklin luxury search, but it is not in Franklin. It is in College Grove, southeast of Franklin off Arno Road, and a home’s address reads College Grove, TN 37046. The Grove describes itself as a private, gated club community about thirty minutes south of Nashville. Lorene’s video, using the community’s own figures, puts Franklin about 15 minutes away and downtown Nashville 30 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

Buyers ask about it because it feels like a resort: 1,100 gated acres, an 18-hole Greg Norman Signature golf course, a clubhouse with dining, a spa, a fitness center, pools, tennis, pickleball, trails and an equestrian center. It is also by far the newest of the four: every home that sold there in the past year was built within the last 13 years.

About 40 homes sold in The Grove in 2026 through mid-October, from about $2 million to $8 million, averaging about $3,554,000. At about $560 a square foot, that is the highest of the four, paying for newness and the club. Most lots are about half an acre. Custom builders were quoting $3.5 million to more than $8 million, with 12 to 24 months to build. Homes took about three months to sell and closed at 99% of original asking price, so buyers usually have time to make a considered offer.

HOA dues are about $275 a month as of October 2026, and a club membership, Sports or Golf, is required when you buy. Sellers and builders sometimes offer to pay it as an incentive, so ask. Our guide to The Grove in College Grove breaks down the membership options.

How to Choose Among the Four

Start with the feature you will not compromise on, because each of these neighborhoods wins on a different one.

• Walk to shops, dining and the village center, with the most choices at every price: Westhaven. Accept small lots and city plus county taxes.
• A gated, established estate home on Franklin’s north side: Laurelbrooke. Be ready to move within days, and budget for updates on a 20-year-old house.
• An acre or more and fewer neighbors: Legends Ridge. Expect more room to negotiate, and plan for renovation.
• Newer construction, a club with golf and resort amenities, and a longer drive is acceptable: The Grove. Add the required club membership to your monthly costs.

Then compare true monthly carrying costs, not list prices: HOA dues, any required club membership, and the tax difference inside and outside the city. For how these four fit among Franklin’s other neighborhoods, start with our complete guide to living in Franklin, TN.

Frequently Asked Questions About Franklin’s Luxury Neighborhoods