What Does Your California Equity Buy in Tennessee?
You know what your California house is worth. What you don't know yet is what that money does here. Put in your numbers and see the cash you'd walk away with, how much house your budget buys in Williamson, Maury and Davidson counties, and what the property tax runs in the places I work most.
Run your numbers
Filled in with an example so you see a result right away. It isn't a value for any real house. Change any number to yours.
Your California home
An estimate for commission (which is negotiable), escrow, title and any credit to the buyer. Your California agent can give you the real number.
Your Tennessee budget
What your budget buys
| County | Price per sq. ft. | Rough size |
|---|
Your budget divided by the county's median asking price per square foot in September 2026, per Realtor.com. It's a rough guide. Medians mix condos, townhomes and houses, and a real home depends on the street and the age of the house.
Property tax on that price
| Where the home sits | 2026 rate | A year |
|---|
The math: price times 25 percent is the assessed value. Divide by 100 and multiply by the rate. The county taxes its appraised value, which can differ from your price.
Want a second set of eyes on this?
Send me your numbers and the Tennessee address you're looking at, and I'll check the county, the tax district and the water provider for you.
Text me these numbersCall 615-392-1186Need a Realtor in California?
If you don't have a Realtor in your area, I'll interview them for you, free. I can see their production, so I can check their actual sales track record and whether they're a good fit for you and your needs. The interviews are free to you. If you hire a Realtor I refer, I collect a referral fee from their brokerage.
Interview Realtors for MeProperty tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
Tax figures on this page are the federal and California rules as published for 2026 and are for planning only. I am a licensed Realtor (TREC 369038), not a tax professional or a lender. Confirm your own situation with a CPA, and any borrowing limit with your lender, before you rely on a number.
How to read your results
Cash after you sell
This is your sale price, less what you owe and your selling costs. It's before any tax on the gain, so talk to your CPA about that number. My moving from California to Tennessee guide covers what California can still tax after you leave.
What your budget buys
This divides your budget by each county's median asking price per square foot in September 2026, per Realtor.com. It's a rough guide, because medians mix condos, townhomes and houses.
Property tax on that price
Tennessee assesses a home at 25 percent of its appraised value, then applies the local rate. The county taxes its appraised value, which can differ from your price.
A worked example
A $900,000 San Diego County home with $350,000 owed and 8 percent selling costs leaves about $478,000 before any tax on the gain. A $650,000 Tennessee budget buys about 1,816 square feet at Williamson County's median price per foot, against about 1,107 in San Diego County. The property tax on that price runs about $2,113 a year in College Grove and about $2,280 in Thompson's Station for 2026.
Need a Realtor in California?
If you don't have a Realtor in your area, I'll interview them for you, free. I can see their production, so I can check their actual sales track record and whether they're a good fit for you and your needs. The interviews are free to you. If you hire a Realtor I refer, I collect a referral fee from their brokerage.
Get the Moving to Middle Tennessee Guide
The taxes, the home prices, the 30-day deadlines and the order to do it all in, in one PDF.
Common questions
How much house does my California equity buy in Tennessee?
It depends on the county. In September 2026, the median asking price per square foot was $358 in Williamson County, $301 in Davidson County and $229 in Maury County, against $587 in San Diego County, per Realtor.com. A $650,000 budget works out to about 1,816 square feet in Williamson County and about 1,107 in San Diego County.
Does this calculator include California tax on the gain?
No. It shows cash after your loans and selling costs, before any tax on the gain. California follows the federal home sale exclusion of up to $250,000, or $500,000 for married couples, if you owned and lived in the home for two of the last five years, and it has no lower capital gains rate above that.
Why is Williamson County's asking price higher than San Diego's?
Size. Williamson County's median asking price was $1,155,000 in September 2026 against San Diego County's $888,450, but the median Williamson listing was 3,314 square feet against 1,507.
Can you sell my California home?
No. I'm licensed in Tennessee, so your California sale needs a California-licensed agent. If you don't have one, I'll interview Realtors in your area for you, free, and check their production and whether they're a good fit for you. If you hire a Realtor I refer, I collect a referral fee from their brokerage.
Thinking about the move from California?
Send me the Tennessee address you're looking at, and I'll check the county, the tax district and the water provider for you. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.