Best places to live in Tennessee
CityLedger tracks 8 Tennessee metros, led by Nashville. Cost of living runs from about 86 to 96 against a U.S. average of 100. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks 8 metros in Tennessee, the largest being the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metro Area (around 2,151,715 people). Across the state, median household income runs from $57,462 in Johnson City to $88,800 in Nashville, and typical rent from $917 a month in Kingsport upward — a reminder that "Tennessee" is really several different housing and job markets, not one.
Jackson has the lowest overall price level in the state (about 86 versus a U.S. average of 100), but the cheapest metro isn't always where money goes furthest. Adjusting income for local prices, Nashville delivers the best real buying power — a cost-adjusted median of about $92,175.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: Tennessee has no state income tax, a real boost to take-home pay versus most states, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 9.6% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and Tennessee state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
Nashville earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 69/100; Nashville is the fastest-growing, up 11.3% over the latest population estimate; Johnson City carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $9 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 69 | 96 | $88,800 | $1,627/mo |
| Knoxville, TN | 55 | 93 | $74,184 | $1,219/mo |
| Chattanooga, TN | 51 | 91 | $75,076 | $1,265/mo |
| Jackson, TN | 42 | 86 | $62,566 | $1,102/mo |
| Clarksville, TN | 41 | 91 | $72,347 | $1,260/mo |
| Memphis, TN | 39 | 92 | $68,124 | $1,330/mo |
| Kingsport, TN | 39 | 86 | $62,096 | $917/mo |
| Johnson City, TN | 38 | 88 | $57,462 | $993/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in Tennessee — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in Tennessee?
- By overall price level, Jackson is the most affordable metro in Tennessee, at about 86 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in Tennessee?
- Nashville has the highest cost-adjusted income in Tennessee — a median of about $92,175 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
- No. Tennessee has no state income tax, which raises take-home pay versus most states, though combined state and local sales tax still averages about 9.6%.
- Which Tennessee metro has the highest livability score?
- Nashville, at 69/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.