Cost of Living in Nashville, Tennessee
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Nashville, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 721,074
- Median household income
- $80,090
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 96.3
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
Is Nashville a good place to live?
Nashville sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 61 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Nashville keeps $5,264 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living4% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,744 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Nashville
Prices in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area run 4% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 28% below the US average.
- Housing5% above 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 items4% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,744 | $20,928 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $335 | $4,020 |
| Utilities | $187 | $2,244 |
| Total before taxes | $3,117 | $37,404 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Nashville | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,675 | $1,585 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,744 | $1,650 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,900 | $1,798 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,441 | $2,309 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,959 | $2,799 |
Living in Nashville
How Nashville compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Nashville | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,090 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $438,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,669 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 48.2% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 50.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 25.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 18% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.6% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Nashville, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon. Fiber reaches 68.8% of homes and 94.3% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Nashville
Pros and cons of living in Nashville
Pros
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 3.2%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- No state income tax. Tennessee doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 25.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Fast home internet. 94.3% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
What your job keeps in Nashville
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $50,390
- Federal income tax
- −$3,867
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,855
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,928
- Everyday costs
- −$16,476
a year, or $439 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $126,610 | $60,400 |
| Project manager | $85,990 | $31,920 |
| Registered nurse | $84,040 | $30,548 |
| Accountant | $78,080 | $26,355 |
| Electrician | $63,340 | $15,669 |
| Teacher | $62,448 | $14,953 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $61,940 | $14,545 |
| Truck driver | $60,630 | $13,492 |
| Medical assistant | $44,620 | $629 |
| Nursing assistant | $39,510 | −$3,478 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Nashville on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $11,941
- Carpenter $9,588
- Civil engineer $40,826
- Data scientist $43,901
- Dental assistant $3,778
- Dental hygienist $37,576
- Dentist $122,784
- Diesel mechanic $13,597
- Financial analyst $40,010
- Firefighter $4,389
- HVAC technician $13,203
- Lawyer $71,288
- Lineman $29,978
- Mechanical engineer $41,382
- Nurse practitioner $57,468
- Occupational therapist $42,219
- Paralegal $13,629
- Paramedic $15,758
- Pharmacist $67,904
- Pharmacy technician $1,697
- Physical therapist $44,153
- Physician assistant $62,068
- Plumber $13,066
- Police officer $19,812
- Radiologic technologist $25,209
- Respiratory therapist $26,791
- Social worker $11,800
- Speech-language pathologist $30,365
- Veterinarian $60,140
- Welder $4,517
Compare Nashville with other cities
Compare Nashville with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Nashville
24 licensed interstate movers are based in Nashville, and 26 more elsewhere in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Nashville, TN a good place to live?
Nashville sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 61 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $50,390 and keeps $5,264 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Nashville?
Prices in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area are 4% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,744 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,373 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Nashville?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $43,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area earns $50,390.
What is the average rent in Nashville?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,675 for a studio, $1,744 for a 1-bedroom and $1,900 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Nashville at $1,669 a month (2024).
Does Nashville have a state or city income tax?
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. Nashville has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Nashville?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Nashville, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon. 68.8% of homes can get fiber and 94.3% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
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, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area 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 MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate