Moving to Tennessee from Arkansas

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Arkansas to Tennessee — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Arkansas to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 10.7% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $86,190 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arkansas to Tennessee.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $86,190

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 5.1% more

Groceries

pay 17.0% more

Transportation

pay 11.9% more

Housing

pay 15.9% more

Childcare

pay 6.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Arkansas to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
610
TN
612
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
2195
TN
2301

Arkansas performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AR
8.6%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AR
38.3%
TN
37.9%

Arkansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AR
$175,300
TN
$256,800
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AR
$914
TN
$1,122

Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Tennessee leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AR
84.9%
TN
87.6%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AR
22 min
TN
26 min

Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Tennessee leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
4.2%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$47,319
TN
$60,177

Tennessee performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AR
73.8 yrs
TN
73.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AR
16%
TN
20%

Arkansas generally does better on family life, though Tennessee leads in bachelor's degree or higher.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Little RockRain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72°/53°F

Avg. annual high / low

NashvilleRain: 47.2 in/yr (1200 mm)
70°/49°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsLittle RockNashville
Jan–Mar56°/38°F (13°/3°C)53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun80°/61°F (27°/16°C)78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep89°/70°F (32°/21°C)87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec62°/44°F (17°/7°C)60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
MonthLittle RockNashville
Jan49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C)49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than Arkansas?

No — Tennessee is on average about 15% more expensive than Arkansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,548 in Tennessee on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Tennessee safe?

Arkansas performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Arkansas?

Arkansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to Arkansas?

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.

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