Moving to Louisiana from Tennessee

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Tennessee to Louisiana — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Tennessee to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 7.1% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $69,162 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baton Rouge averages 79°F vs 70°F in Nashville, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Tennessee to Louisiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $69,162

To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 10.4% less

Groceries

pay 1.4% less

Transportation

pay 1.2% less

Housing

pay 14.2% less

Childcare

pay 7.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.7% 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

How Tennessee and Louisiana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
LA
543
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
LA
2605

Tennessee generally does better on safety, though Louisiana leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

TN
9.5%
LA
7.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
LA
40.6%

Tennessee generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

TN
$256,800
LA
$208,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
LA
$1,038

Louisiana performs significantly better than Tennessee across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

TN
87.6%
LA
84.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
LA
26 min

Tennessee performs better than Louisiana 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%
LA
3.9%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
LA
$55,662

Tennessee performs better than Louisiana across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
LA
18%

Tennessee performs better than Louisiana 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Baton Rouge Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Nashville Baton Rouge
Jan–Mar 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) 67°/45°F (19°/7°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 85°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) 91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) 72°/50°F (22°/10°C)
View all months
Month Nashville Baton Rouge
Jan 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)
Feb 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C)
Mar 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C)
Apr 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C)
May 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C)
Sep 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C)
Oct 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C)
Nov 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Dec 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than Tennessee?

Generally yes: Louisiana runs about 8% cheaper than Tennessee on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,290 in Louisiana for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Louisiana safe?

Tennessee generally does better on safety, though Louisiana leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to Tennessee?

Tennessee generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Louisiana leads in uninsured rate.

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

The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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