Moving to Tennessee from Kansas

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kansas to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 12.2% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $85,897 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $85,897

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 16.4% more

Groceries

pay 10.1% more

Transportation

pay 5.5% more

Housing

pay 21.6% more

Childcare

pay 19.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 1.9% 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 Kansas to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
424
TN
612
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
2068
TN
2301

Kansas 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

KS
8.6%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KS
36.8%
TN
37.9%

Kansas 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

KS
$203,400
TN
$256,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

KS
$1,029
TN
$1,122

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

KS
89.5%
TN
87.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

KS
20 min
TN
26 min

Kansas 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

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

KS
$60,996
TN
$60,177

Kansas 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

KS
76.4 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

KS
23%
TN
20%

Kansas 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.

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Topeka Nashville
Jan–Mar 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) 87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) 60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Topeka Nashville
Jan 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°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 Kansas?

No — Tennessee is on average about 15% more expensive than Kansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,474 in Tennessee on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Tennessee safe?

Kansas performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Kansas?

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

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.

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