Moving to Tennessee from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Tennessee — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 16.2% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $60,424 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Tennessee.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $60,424
To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 8.6% less
Groceries
pay 12.3% less
Transportation
pay 22.8% less
Housing
pay 20.1% less
Childcare
pay 31.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.4% less
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 California to Tennessee.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
California generally does better on safety, though Tennessee leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Tennessee performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though Tennessee leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Tennessee leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs better than Tennessee across all family life metrics.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than California?
Yes — Tennessee is on average about 19% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,106 in Tennessee on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Tennessee safe?
California generally does better on safety, though Tennessee leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to California?
California performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to California?
The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
