Moving to Missouri from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 2.7% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $66,184 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $66,184

To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 10.8% less

Groceries

pay 1.7% less

Transportation

pay 37.2% more

Housing

pay 16.2% less

Childcare

pay 7.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.9% 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 Missouri compared to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
MO
453
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
MO
2070

Missouri 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%
MO
8.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
MO
37.5%

Missouri 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
MO
$215,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
MO
$996

Missouri 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%
MO
88.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
MO
24 min

Missouri 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%
MO
3.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
MO
$56,344

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
MO
22%

Missouri 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Nashville Columbia
Jan–Mar 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Nashville Columbia
Jan 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Tennessee?

On average Missouri is about 12% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Missouri?

Budget about $16,546 for 3 months in Missouri (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Missouri safe?

Missouri performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Tennessee?

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

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

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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