Moving to Tennessee from Idaho

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Idaho to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 5.2% more expensive than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $78,021 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $78,021

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 6.7% more

Groceries

pay 9.6% more

Transportation

pay 6.5% less

Housing

pay 15.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.9% 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

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

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
226
TN
612
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
784
TN
2301

Idaho 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

ID
8.5%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

ID
33.5%
TN
37.9%

Idaho 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

ID
$376,000
TN
$256,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

ID
$1,150
TN
$1,122

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

ID
91.3%
TN
87.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

ID
22 min
TN
26 min

Idaho performs better than Tennessee across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ID
3.5%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$49,054
TN
$60,177

Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though Tennessee leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

ID
78.4 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

ID
19%
TN
20%

Idaho 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.

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boise Nashville
Jan–Mar 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) 53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) 87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) 60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Boise Nashville
Jan 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°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 Idaho?

No — Tennessee is on average about 4% more expensive than Idaho. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,505 in Tennessee on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Tennessee safe?

Idaho performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Idaho?

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

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.

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