Cost of living in Nashville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Nashville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Nashville is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Nashville is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Nashville ranks as the #39 cheapest in North Carolina out of 153.
Nashville ranks as the #1,633 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Nashville is $148,800.
The median income in Nashville is $56,359.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Nashville has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Nashville has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than North Carolina's index of 95.
The standard of living in Nashville ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 153 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Nashville ranks as the #114 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Nashville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Nashville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Nashville is 104.
The Groceries index in Nashville is 89.
The Health index in Nashville is 106.
The Housing index in Nashville is 66.
The Transportation index in Nashville is 95.
The Utilities index in Nashville is 97.
Living Expense | Nashville | North Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 90 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 104 | 97 | 100 | |
Groceries | 89 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 106 | 108 | 100 | |
Housing | 66 | 91 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
Utilities | 97 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Nashville is $148,800.
The Median Rent in Nashville is $836.
The Median Income in Nashville is $56,359.
The Home Value To Income in Nashville is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Nashville is 0.18x.
Statistic | Nashville | North Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $148,800 | $197,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $836 | $988 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $56,359 | $60,516 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.6x | 3.3x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Nashville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.95 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.04 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.13 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.07 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $48.42 | $39.05 |
Item | Nashville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.93 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $0.97 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.61 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.88 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.04 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.99 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.04 | $2.34 |
Item | Nashville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $98.89 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $145.22 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $99.0 | $99.13 |
Item | Nashville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.27 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $37.07 | $50.07 |
Item | Nashville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $162.8 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.92 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Nashville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Raleigh, NC has a cost of living index of 105, 1.2x Nashville.
Cary, NC has a cost of living index of 114, 1.3x Nashville.
Greenville, NC has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x Nashville.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Nashville |
---|---|---|---|
Raleigh, NC | 462,219 | 105 | 1.2x |
Cary, NC | 171,603 | 114 | 1.3x |
Greenville, NC | 87,815 | 94 | 1.0x |
Rocky Mount, NC | 54,375 | 86 | 1.0x |
Wake Forest, NC | 46,387 | 110 | 1.2x |
Garner, NC | 30,859 | 99 | 1.1x |
Clayton, NC | 25,486 | 97 | 1.1x |
Knightdale, NC | 18,614 | 99 | 1.1x |
Roanoke Rapids, NC | 15,294 | 90 | 1.0x |
Winterville, NC | 10,336 | 97 | 1.1x |