Quick answer (as of November 2026) Yes, if keeping more of your paycheck and lower overall prices matter more to you than a high sales tax and severe weather. Tennessee has no state tax on wages, and prices ran about 8% below the national average in 2024. In exchange you'll pay the second-highest combined sales tax in the country, household incomes run below the national median, and you'll plan around tornadoes, seasonal allergies and primary care shortages in parts of the state.
Memphis to Bristol is about nine hours by car, and the home prices, the weather and even the time zone change along the way. A statewide list only gets you partway, so this one ends with the numbers by region.
I sold real estate in San Diego before I moved to Middle Tennessee, and I live in Thompson's Station now. My family and I love living here and wouldn't change it. Every figure here comes from a source you can check yourself.
Is Tennessee a good place to live?
It's a good place to live if your budget gains more from the tax setup than it loses, and you're ready for the weather. Here's how it scores as of November 2026.
| Part of life | Verdict | What the records show |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Pro | No state tax on wages |
| Property tax | Pro | 0.52% of home value, against 0.90% nationally, 2024 |
| Overall prices | Pro | About 8% below the national average, 2024 |
| Outdoors | Pro | 62 state parks, all free to enter |
| Jobs | Pro | 3.4% unemployment, September 2026 (preliminary) |
| Sales tax | Con | 9.61% average combined rate, second highest in the U.S. |
| Household income | Con | Median of $69,595, against $80,734 nationally, 2020 to 2024 |
| Severe weather | Con | About 31 tornadoes a year, 1995 to 2025 |
| Seasonal allergies | Con in the east | Knoxville ranks 21st of 100 metro areas, 2026 |
| Health care access | Con | 162 primary care shortage designations, September 2026 |
| Getting around | Con | About 500 miles from Memphis to Bristol, and you'll want a car |
What are the pros of living in Tennessee?
The biggest pros are your paycheck, your property tax bill, lower overall prices and the outdoors.
No state tax on your wages
Tennessee doesn't tax wages or salaries, per the Tax Foundation. If you're planning around retirement income, read is Tennessee a good state to retire in. Talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Property tax runs low
Homeowners paid an average of 0.52% of their home's value in 2024, against 0.90% nationally. That's 41st of 50 states, per the Tax Foundation.
Your own bill depends on the county and the city. At 2026 rates, $100,000 of appraised value costs about $561 a year inside Franklin and the Franklin Special School District, and about $351 in Thompson's Station.
Property 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.
Overall prices run below the national average
Prices ran about 8% below the national average in 2024, per the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Census medians for 2020 to 2024 show the same direction: a home value of $286,700 against $332,700 nationally, and rent of $1,189 against $1,413.
Those Census numbers include homes bought years ago. Today's median listing price was $429,450 in September 2026, per Realtor.com. My Moving to Tennessee guide has the salary math.
State parks you don't pay to enter
All 62 state parks are free to enter. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the Tennessee and North Carolina line, drew about 11.5 million visits in 2025, the most of any national park, per the National Park Service.
Closer to home, my wife and I go to Arrington Vineyards for the landscape, the wine and the music.
Live music and big events
The Grand Ole Opry began as a radio show in 1925 and still plays every week. Memphis has Beale Street and Graceland. I'm partial to Dickens of a Christmas in downtown Franklin, which my wife, my kids and I love.
A steady job market
Tennessee had about 3.39 million jobs and a 3.4% unemployment rate in September 2026, preliminary and not seasonally adjusted, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Get the office address before you pick a town, because the state is too long to do it the other way around.
What are the cons of living in Tennessee?
The biggest cons are the sales tax, lower household incomes, severe weather, seasonal allergies, primary care gaps and long drives.
A high sales tax, groceries included
Tennessee's average combined rate of 9.61% was second only to Louisiana's 10.13% as of July 1, 2026, per the Tax Foundation. The state rate is 7%, or 4% on food, and local rates add up to 2.75%, so a purchase can hit 9.75%.
Run this one against what you'd save on income tax. It takes a big bite out of a big purchase, and it won't touch your paycheck.
Household incomes run below the national median
The Census puts the median household income at $69,595 for 2020 to 2024, against $80,734 nationally. If you're moving with a job offer, compare it to the local cost of housing and skip the comparison to what you make now.
Tornadoes, floods and ice
The National Weather Service counts an average of 31 tornadoes a year statewide from 1995 to 2025, and 50 in 2025. Tennessee was affected by 116 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters from 1980 through 2024, 68 of them severe storms, per NOAA.
Storms here come in more than one form. Tropical Storm Helene brought a major disaster declaration to East Tennessee in 2024. A January 2026 ice storm cut power to 231,749 Nashville Electric Service customers.
When you tour a home, ask about the age of the roof and where you'd shelter, and pull the FEMA flood map for the address. Most homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood damage, per FloodSmart.
Hot summers and seasonal allergies
In Nashville, the National Weather Service lists a normal July high of 90.9 degrees and an average of 49 days a year at 90 or hotter.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks 100 metro areas each year, with 1 the hardest place to live with seasonal allergies. Knoxville was 21st for 2026, Chattanooga 26th, Nashville 61st and Memphis 77th. All four scored average or better on pollen and worse than average on allergy medicine use.
Primary care gaps
Medical care depends on the address. HRSA lists 162 primary care shortage designations in Tennessee as of September 30, 2026, covering about 2.3 million people. America's Health Rankings put the state 44th of 50 in its 2025 annual report.
Before you buy, look up the location in HPSA Find and find out how far your doctors would be.
Long drives and a car for almost everything
Memphis to Bristol is about 500 miles and just over nine hours, by OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. Commutes are close to normal, a mean of 25.7 minutes against 26.4 nationally, per the Census.
Plan on a car for most of daily life. Even in Nashville, the WeGo Star train runs on weekdays only. My Living in Nashville guide goes deeper on rush hour, sidewalks and visitors.
How do the pros and cons change by region?
Tennessee has three regions, and the trade-offs shift across them. Here's one major county or city from each.
| Region | Median listing price, September 2026 | Time zone | Snow in a normal year | Allergy rank, 2026 | Tornadoes a year, 1995 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East (Knoxville, Knox County) | $419,750 | Eastern | 4.6 inches | 21st | 6 |
| Middle (Nashville, Davidson County) | $525,000 | Central | 4.7 inches | 61st | 18 |
| West (Memphis, Shelby County) | $247,775 | Central | 2.7 inches | 77th | 8 |
Prices are county medians from Realtor.com. Snow is 1991 to 2020 normals from the National Weather Service for Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. Tornado counts are regional National Weather Service averages, and a tornado that crosses two regions counts in both.
One county can't speak for a region, either. Williamson County's median listing price was $1,155,000 in the same month, more than twice Davidson County's.
How do you test all this on a real address?
Pick a region first, then run one address through the full list: price, property tax, flood map, the drive to work and the drive to your doctors. Before you write an offer, I check the county, the city limits, the tax rate and the flood map for that address.
If you're out of state, I'll record a video walkthrough of the home and send it as an unlisted YouTube link, so you can rewatch it and show anyone you want. Here's how I work with out-of-state buyers. Coming from California? Start with moving from California to Tennessee.
I work Middle Tennessee, so compare Franklin, Thompson's Station, Spring Hill, College Grove and Nashville, or see the towns around Nashville side by side. Headed to East or West Tennessee? I'll interview agents there for free, look at their actual production and send you the ones with a real track record. The interviews are free to you. If you hire a Realtor I refer, I collect a referral fee from their brokerage.
Tell me where you're moving from and when, and I'll help you narrow it down to a county and a price. DM, text or call 615-392-1186, or use the form below.
Frequently asked questions
What is the downside of living in Tennessee?
The biggest downsides are a combined sales tax as high as 9.75%, household incomes below the national median, severe storms, seasonal allergies in East Tennessee and primary care shortages in parts of the state.
What is the best part of Tennessee to live in?
That depends on your job, your budget and the time zone you can live with. In September 2026, median listing prices ran from $247,775 in Shelby County to $1,155,000 in Williamson County, so price the county before you pick a town.
Is Tennessee a rich or poor state?
Its incomes run below the national median, at $69,595 a household against $80,734 for 2020 to 2024. Overall prices also ran about 8% below the national average in 2024, so a dollar goes further here.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Tennessee?
To rent at the Census median of $1,189, plan on about $48,000 a year, using the common rule of 30% of gross income. That's an estimate, and buying takes more. The county you choose changes the number most.
Does it snow in Tennessee?
A little. Normal yearly snowfall is about 4.6 inches in Knoxville, 4.7 in Nashville and 2.7 in Memphis, per National Weather Service 1991 to 2020 normals.
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