City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 7.7% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $107,700 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Kingsport, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Kingsport, TN to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by −7.1%, purely from prices.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kingsport, TN | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,666 in Louisville | $92,880 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
46 Fair offer
Louisville, KY → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Louisville, KY | Real change, Kingsport → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $61,610 | $57,223 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $110,270 | $102,419 (−11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $76,320 | $70,886 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $84,850 | $78,809 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.