City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Nashville, TN (96.3) and Springfield, MA (96.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Nashville, TN goes as far as $99,700 in Springfield, MA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Nashville, TN to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.2% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Nashville, TN | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,712 in Springfield | $100,288 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
70 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Nashville, TN
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Springfield, MA | Real change, Nashville → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +13.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +13.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +13.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +13.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +13.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $79,640 | $79,870 (+30.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $127,740 | $128,108 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $92,010 | $92,275 (+18.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $98,410 | $98,694 (+17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.