Moving to Wisconsin from Tennessee

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tennessee to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 4.8% more expensive than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly $71,495 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madison averages 56°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 Wisconsin.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $71,495

To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 6.2% less

Groceries

pay 3.3% less

Transportation

pay 8.6% more

Housing

pay 14.9% less

Childcare

pay 52.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.8% 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 Wisconsin compared to Tennessee.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
612
WI
286
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TN
2301
WI
1204

Wisconsin 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%
WI
5.2%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
WI
37.8%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TN
$256,800
WI
$247,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TN
$1,122
WI
$1,045

Wisconsin 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%
WI
89.5%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TN
26 min
WI
22 min

Wisconsin 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%
WI
3.0%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
WI
$59,333

Wisconsin 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
WI
77.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

TN
20%
WI
22%

Wisconsin 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

MadisonRain: 34.5 in/yr (876 mm)
56°/37°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsNashvilleMadison
Jan–Mar53°/33°F (12°/1°C)33°/17°F (1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun78°/56°F (26°/14°C)68°/46°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep87°/66°F (30°/19°C)78°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Oct–Dec60°/40°F (16°/4°C)44°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
View all months
MonthNashvilleMadison
Jan47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C)
Feb52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C)
Mar61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C)
Apr71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
May78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Jun86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C)
Jul89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Aug89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C)
Sep82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C)
Oct72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C)
Nov60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C)
Dec49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C)30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Wisconsin than Tennessee?

On average Wisconsin is about 5% less expensive than Tennessee, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?

Budget about $17,874 for 3 months in Wisconsin (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Wisconsin safe?

Wisconsin performs significantly better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to Tennessee?

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

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

The average high temperature in Madison is 56°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Madison receives around 34.5 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

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