Rutherford County is not only a destination of choice as a business address, it also is attracting a growing number of executives, professionals and families. The county has averaged nearly 21 residential construction permits per 1,000 residents each year since 2000, tied for No. 1 in the state. More than one in five homes have been built since the start of the decade, a pace nearly three times the U.S. average.

“The county has evolved with the influx of new retail, the new hospitals. We have matured and grown,” says Lisa Underwood, Murfreesboro-based ParkTrust Development Co. marketing director.

The county’s roster of prestige homes is flourishing. ParkTrust’s Marymont Springs, which will include more than 800 single-family homes in its initial phases, features amenities such as a clubhouse with multi-use pools, outdoor fireplace for community gatherings and fishing docks. Prices range from $400,000 to more than $1 million. The Reserve, another ParkTrust project in the Murfreesboro area, includes estate and manor homes priced from the $300,000s to the $800,000s.

Holrob Investments’ Westlawn near Murfreesboro will consist of 362 single-family homes, 318 multi-family residences and 350,000 square feet of business and retail space, as well as a children’s playground, pocket parks, walking trails and 50 acres of preserved natural areas.

“Rutherford County is a really strong community.” says Brandi Miles, an agent with Crye-Leike Realtors in Murfreesboro. “We have a small-town feel with a lot of amenities.”