Moving to Tennessee from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to Tennessee — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 3.6% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $76,716 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Illinois to Tennessee.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,716
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% more
Groceries
pay 4.4% more
Transportation
pay 15.2% less
Housing
pay 6.8% more
Childcare
pay 20.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.6% 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 Illinois to Tennessee.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Illinois performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
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
Illinois 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Illinois leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Illinois 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
Illinois 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
Illinois 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 | Springfield | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than Illinois?
Costs in Tennessee and Illinois are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,179 in Tennessee on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Tennessee safe?
Illinois performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Illinois?
Illinois performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
