City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.5% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $104,500 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- Both are in TN, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- 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 Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN changes real buying power by −4.3%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,512 in Nashville | $95,683 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
55 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 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 Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Nashville, TN | Real change, Memphis → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $61,460 | $58,807 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $126,610 | $121,144 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $78,080 | $74,709 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $84,040 | $80,412 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.