Moving to North Carolina from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 3.8% more expensive than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $76,929 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Tennessee and North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $76,929

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 9.7% less

Groceries

pay 12.2% more

Transportation

pay 18.9% more

Housing

pay 2.9% less

Childcare

pay 16.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 1.6% 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 North Carolina compared to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
NC
379
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
NC
1998

North Carolina 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%
NC
9.6%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
NC
33.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TN
$256,800
NC
$259,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
NC
$1,162

Tennessee performs better than North Carolina 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%
NC
88.7%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
NC
25 min

North Carolina 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%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
NC
$59,308

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
NC
22%

North Carolina 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

AshevilleRain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67°/46°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsNashvilleAsheville
Jan–Mar53°/33°F (12°/1°C)52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun78°/56°F (26°/14°C)75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep87°/66°F (30°/19°C)82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec60°/40°F (16°/4°C)58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
MonthNashvilleAsheville
Jan47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C)49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Tennessee?

On average North Carolina is around 3% pricier than Tennessee, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?

Budget about $19,232 for 3 months in North Carolina (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is North Carolina safe?

North Carolina performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Tennessee?

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

What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Tennessee?

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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