City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Memphis, TN are 3.3% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $103,300 in Memphis, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Memphis, TN and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Memphis, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Memphis, TN to Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by +3.3%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Memphis, TN | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,783 in Tulsa | $103,323 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
79 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Memphis, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Memphis, TN to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Memphis → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $48,220 | $49,823 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $108,730 | $112,344 (−10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $81,320 | $84,023 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $84,790 | $87,608 (+7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.