City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 4.9% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $104,900 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 23% in Reno, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Nashville, TN to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Nashville, TN | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,854 in Reno | $95,371 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Reno, NV | Real change, Nashville → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $62,430 | $59,540 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $125,710 | $119,891 (−5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $82,370 | $78,557 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $107,520 | $102,543 (+22.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.