Moving to Idaho from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 2.5% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $72,096 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $72,096

To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.6% less

Groceries

pay 5.6% less

Transportation

pay 8.0% more

Housing

pay 11.7% less

Childcare

pay 2.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.5% 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 Idaho compared to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
ID
226
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
ID
784

Idaho performs significantly 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

TN
9.5%
ID
8.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
ID
33.5%

Idaho performs significantly 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

TN
$256,800
ID
$376,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
ID
$1,150

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

TN
87.6%
ID
91.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
ID
22 min

Idaho performs significantly 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

TN
3.4%
ID
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
ID
$49,054

Tennessee generally does better on employment & economy, though Idaho leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

TN
73.8 yrs
ID
78.4 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
ID
19%

Tennessee generally does better on family life, though Idaho leads in life expectancy.

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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Nashville Boise
Jan–Mar 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 72°/47°F (22°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) 87°/57°F (30°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) 50°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Nashville Boise
Jan 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C)
Feb 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C)
Mar 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C)
Apr 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C)
May 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C)
Sep 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C)
Oct 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C)
Nov 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C)
Dec 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than Tennessee?

On average Idaho is about 4% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Idaho?

Budget about $18,024 for 3 months in Idaho (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Idaho safe?

Idaho performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Idaho compared to Tennessee?

Idaho performs significantly better than Tennessee across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Boise is 64°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Boise receives around 11.7 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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