Moving to Tennessee from Pennsylvania
What to Expect
Considering a move from Pennsylvania to Tennessee? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 3.7% cheaper than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $73,738 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,738
To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.4% more
Groceries
pay 9.0% less
Transportation
pay 14.5% less
Housing
pay 6.5% more
Childcare
pay 21.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.5% 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 Pennsylvania.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania generally does better on what about housing?, though Tennessee leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania 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 | Harrisburg | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harrisburg | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) |
| May | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) |
| Jul | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than Pennsylvania?
Tennessee and Pennsylvania are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?
Budget about $18,434 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?
Pennsylvania performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania performs better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to Pennsylvania?
The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in.
