City comparison
Minneapolis, MN vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 8.8% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $108,800 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Minneapolis, MN to Nashville, TN ($116,038 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Minneapolis, MN | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,906 in Nashville | $108,806 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
96 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | Nashville, TN | Real change, Minneapolis → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $61,460 | $66,872 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $126,610 | $137,760 (+5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $78,080 | $84,956 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $84,040 | $91,441 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.