Moving to Tennessee from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Tennessee? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 9.5% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $86,143 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nashville averages 70°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Tennessee.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,143
To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.1% more
Groceries
pay 13.2% more
Transportation
pay 6.3% more
Housing
pay 28.3% more
Childcare
pay 4.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.4% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Tennessee compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa 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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Tennessee across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs better than Tennessee across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iowa performs better than Tennessee across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa 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 | Des Moines | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than Iowa?
On average Tennessee is around 15% pricier than Iowa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?
Budget about $21,536 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?
Iowa performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
