Moving to Tennessee from Montana

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Montana to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 4.3% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $72,451 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nashville averages 70°F vs 58°F in Helena, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $72,451

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 0.2% more

Groceries

pay 0.3% less

Transportation

pay 1.0% less

Housing

pay 1.4% less

Childcare

pay 16.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.4% 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

The numbers behind daily life in Tennessee compared to Montana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
TN
612
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
TN
2301

Montana 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

MT
8.0%
TN
9.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
TN
37.9%

Montana 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

MT
$338,100
TN
$256,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
TN
$1,122

Montana generally does better on what about housing?, though Tennessee leads in median home value.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

MT
88.7%
TN
87.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
TN
26 min

Montana 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

MT
3.7%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
TN
$60,177

Montana 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

MT
76.8 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

MT
23%
TN
20%

Montana 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.

Helena Rain: 11.2 in/yr (285 mm)
58° / 33°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Nashville
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Helena Nashville
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°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 Montana?

On average Tennessee is about 3% less expensive than Montana, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

Budget about $18,113 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?

Montana performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Montana?

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

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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