Moving to Tennessee from Hawaii

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Hawaii to Tennessee? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Hawaii to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 20.5% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $54,055 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nashville averages 70°F vs 84°F in Honolulu, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Hawaii and Tennessee.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $54,055

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 22.1% less

Groceries

pay 45.1% less

Transportation

pay 26.4% less

Housing

pay 20.8% less

Childcare

pay 5.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 23.1% less

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

The numbers behind daily life in Tennessee compared to Hawaii.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
187
TN
612
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

HI
1672
TN
2301

Hawaii performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

HI
3.6%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

HI
25.6%
TN
37.9%

Hawaii performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

HI
$808,200
TN
$256,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

HI
$1,938
TN
$1,122

Tennessee performs significantly better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

HI
91.2%
TN
87.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

HI
26 min
TN
26 min

Hawaii generally does better on infrastructure, though Tennessee leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HI
2.2%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

HI
$64,124
TN
$60,177

Hawaii performs better than Tennessee across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

HI
80.7 yrs
TN
73.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

HI
25%
TN
20%

Hawaii 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.

Honolulu Rain: 17.1 in/yr (434 mm)
84° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Honolulu Nashville
Jan–Mar 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) 53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) 87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) 60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Honolulu Nashville
Jan 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°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 Hawaii?

On average Tennessee is about 28% less expensive than Hawaii, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Budget about $13,514 for 3 months in Tennessee (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Tennessee safe?

Hawaii performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Hawaii?

Hawaii performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.

Share this