Moving to Iowa from Tennessee
What to Expect
Considering a move from Tennessee to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Tennessee to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 6.0% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $65,298 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 70°F in Nashville, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Tennessee and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $65,298
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 9.6% less
Groceries
pay 10.0% less
Transportation
pay 5.3% less
Housing
pay 20.6% less
Childcare
pay 1.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% more
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 Iowa compared to Tennessee.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs significantly 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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs significantly better than Tennessee across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs significantly better than Tennessee across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iowa performs significantly better than Tennessee across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa performs significantly 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 | Nashville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nashville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Tennessee?
On average Iowa is about 13% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $16,324 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Tennessee?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Tennessee?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.
