Moving to Tennessee from Mississippi

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Mississippi to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 19.7% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $88,486 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $88,486

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 26.2% more

Groceries

pay 13.8% more

Transportation

pay 1.6% more

Housing

pay 24.6% more

Childcare

pay 40.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.8% more

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 Mississippi.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
202
TN
612
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
1579
TN
2301

Mississippi performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MS
11.3%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MS
41.9%
TN
37.9%

Tennessee generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mississippi leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MS
$161,400
TN
$256,800
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MS
$923
TN
$1,122

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MS
82.0%
TN
87.6%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MS
26 min
TN
26 min

Mississippi generally does better on infrastructure, though Tennessee leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MS
3.1%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MS
$41,778
TN
$60,177

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MS
71.9 yrs
TN
73.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MS
16%
TN
20%

Tennessee performs significantly better than Mississippi 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.

JacksonRain: 54.3 in/yr (1380 mm)
76°/55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsJacksonNashville
Jan–Mar62°/41°F (17°/5°C)53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun83°/62°F (28°/17°C)78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep90°/70°F (32°/21°C)87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec67°/46°F (20°/8°C)60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
MonthJacksonNashville
Jan56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C)47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C)61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C)71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C)78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C)89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C)89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C)82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C)72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°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 Mississippi?

On average Tennessee is around 18% pricier than Mississippi, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Budget about $22,122 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?

Mississippi performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Mississippi?

Tennessee generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mississippi leads in adult smoking rate.

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.

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