City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.1% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $104,100 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Nashville, TN ($108,173 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- 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
| Kansas City, MO | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,101 in Nashville | $96,061 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
56 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Nashville, TN | Real change, Kansas City → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,722 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,678 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,508 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,437 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $125,776 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $61,460 | $59,039 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $126,610 | $121,623 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $78,080 | $75,004 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $84,040 | $80,729 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.