Davidson County · Tennessee
Cost of living in Nashville, TN
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Nashville, TN costs 3.7% below the national average — an all-items price level of 96.3. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $96,338 here.
- All items
- 96.3US average = 100
- Housing
- 104.64.6% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.23.8% below the national average
- Other services
- 95.14.9% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.2 | -3.8% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 104.6 | +4.6% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 72.0 | -28.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 95.1 | -4.9% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Nashville, TN
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (96.3 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $74,829
- Needed to match US average
- $69,449
- Monthly difference
- $-220
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Nashville earns $72,089. Deflated by the local price level, that is $74,829 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 96.3.
More on Nashville
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.