Moving to Indiana from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 7.5% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $68,548 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,548

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 12.2% less

Groceries

pay 11.6% less

Transportation

pay 1.9% more

Housing

pay 12.2% less

Childcare

pay 4.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.4% 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 Indiana compared to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
IN
327
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
IN
1519

Indiana performs significantly 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

TN
9.5%
IN
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
IN
38.5%

Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TN
$256,800
IN
$201,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
IN
$1,020

Indiana performs significantly 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

TN
87.6%
IN
88.5%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
IN
24 min

Indiana performs significantly better than Tennessee across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TN
3.4%
IN
2.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
IN
$59,083

Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Tennessee leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
IN
19%

Tennessee generally does better on family life, though Indiana 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

IndianapolisRain: 40.8 in/yr (1036 mm)
62°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsNashvilleIndianapolis
Jan–Mar53°/33°F (12°/1°C)42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun78°/56°F (26°/14°C)72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep87°/66°F (30°/19°C)81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec60°/40°F (16°/4°C)51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
MonthNashvilleIndianapolis
Jan47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C)38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Tennessee?

On average Indiana is about 9% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

Budget about $17,137 for 3 months in Indiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Indiana safe?

Indiana performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Tennessee?

Indiana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.

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

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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