City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 9.4% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $109,400 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Nashville, TN ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,385 in Nashville | $109,427 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
98 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Nashville, TN | Real change, Anchorage → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $61,460 | $67,254 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $126,610 | $138,546 (+33.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $78,080 | $85,441 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $84,040 | $91,963 (−20.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.