Cost of Living in Tennessee
What it costs to live in Tennessee, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 7,227,750
- Median household income
- $71,997
- State income tax
- None
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 91.9
What a typical paycheck keeps in Tennessee
The typical Tennessee worker earns $47,380 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,415 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $47,380
- Federal income tax
- −$3,506
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,625
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,352
- Everyday costs
- −$16,482
a year, or $785 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Tennessee.
Cost of living in Tennessee
Prices across Tennessee run 8% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing21% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities28% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)5% below the US average
- All items8% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,196 | $14,352 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $335 | $4,020 |
| Utilities | $188 | $2,256 |
| Total before taxes | $2,570 | $30,840 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Tennessee taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
Tennessee doesn’t tax wages.
No individual income tax.
Taxes on the median household income
$71,997 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,009 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,508 |
| State income tax | $0 |
| Effective tax rate | 17.4% |
Cities in Tennessee
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Tennessee city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Tennessee
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $215,290 | $129,354 |
| Lawyer | $136,180 | $73,511 |
| Pharmacist salary in Tennessee | $133,390 | $71,604 |
| Veterinarian | $124,350 | $65,425 |
| Software engineer salary in Tennessee | $122,430 | $64,113 |
| Physician assistant | $118,240 | $61,178 |
| Nurse practitioner | $117,590 | $60,720 |
| Data scientist | $100,330 | $48,578 |
| Physical therapist salary in Tennessee | $100,140 | $48,444 |
| Mechanical engineer | $99,550 | $48,029 |
| Occupational therapist | $97,700 | $46,728 |
| Civil engineer | $95,910 | $45,469 |
| Financial analyst | $92,990 | $43,414 |
| Project manager | $85,890 | $38,419 |
| Dental hygienist salary in Tennessee | $84,640 | $37,540 |
Salary pages in Tennessee, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant salary
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist salary
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician salary
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist salary
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist salary
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer salary
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse salary
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer salary
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher salary
- Truck driver salary
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Tennessee
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $301,290 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $232,220 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $226,830 |
| Dentists, General | $215,290 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $211,450 |
| Chief Executives | $198,830 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,430 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $158,700 |
| Financial Managers | $141,010 |
| Purchasing Managers | $137,060 |
| Lawyers | $136,180 |
| Pharmacists | $133,390 |
| Marketing Managers | $131,990 |
| Human Resources Managers | $131,760 |
| Sales Managers | $128,040 |
Living in Tennessee
Tennessee against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Tennessee | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $332,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,284 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 13.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 32.4% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.7% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Tennessee with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Tennessee?
Prices in Tennessee are 8% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,196 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,374 a month.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
No. Tennessee doesn't tax wages. Workers still pay federal income tax and payroll taxes.
How much do you need to earn to live in Tennessee?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $35,700 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Tennessee earns $47,380 and keeps $9,415 after those costs.
Where in Tennessee does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Tennessee cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Knoxville ($8,810 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Nashville ($5,264).
What jobs pay the most in Tennessee?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Tennessee goes to Physicians, All Other ($301,290); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($232,220); Family Medicine Physicians ($226,830) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate