Relocation profile · Federal data

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin - every figure straight from federal data.

96.3
Cost index (US=100)
$1,730
2BR rent / mo
$67,856
Median salary
38.3
LiveAbility Score

The verdict

As of June 2026, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin ranks #337 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (38.3/100), with its strongest marks in climate and job market.

#337
of 387 US metros · Below median
7,227,750
metro-area population
602
violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
1,844
schools in the state (NCES)

Weakest dimension: safety (2/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a cost-of-living index of 96.3 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $1,730/mo, and a median salary of $67,856. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 38.3/100, ranking #337 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in climate and job market.

How Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin ranks nationally

Where Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.

LiveAbility Score distribution - Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin marked 0 US metros at 0–10 0 0 US metros at 10–20 10 21 US metros at 20–30 21 20 41 US metros at 30–40 41 30 110 US metros at 40–50 110 40 159 US metros at 50–60 159 50 50 US metros at 60–70 50 60 6 US metros at 70–80 6 70 0 US metros at 80–90 80 0 US metros at 90–100 90 LiveAbility Score →
Bottom 13% by LiveAbility Score Lower LiveAbility Score than 87% of all 387 US metros.

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has liveability score of 38.3. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: BEA RPP 96.3 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $1,730/mo, BLS median salary $67,856, FBI violent crime 602/100K (state), NCES 1,844 schools (state), composite Life Score 38.3/100 (F). Source methodology + Life Score formula →

Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.

Key Metrics

Cost of Living (RPP)
96.3
100 = national avg
2BR Rent (FMR)
$1,730
per month
Median Salary
$67,856
annual
Violent Crime Rate
602
per 100K (state level)

Housing & Rent

HUD Fair Market Rents for the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 104.6 (100 = national average).

Studio
$1,507
/month
1 Bedroom
$1,578
/month
2 Bedroom
$1,730
/month
3 Bedroom
$2,211
/month
4 Bedroom
$2,696
/month

Wages & Employment

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has 1,079,340 total employment with a median salary of $67,856.

Median Salary
$67,856
Mean Salary
$71,472
Total Employment
1,079,340

Top Occupations by Employment

Occupation Median Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $39,790
Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,150
Retail Salespersons $34,420
Registered Nurses $84,040
General and Operations Managers $119,990

Schools & Education

State-level education data for the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area from NCES.

Schools
1,844
Enrollment
994,264
Student:Teacher
15.3:1
Title I %
0%

Childcare Costs

State-average childcare costs for the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area (DOL data).

Infant (Center)
$7,860
per year
Toddler (Center)
$6,190
per year
Preschool (Center)
$6,190
per year

Life Score Breakdown

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's composite Life Score is 38.3/100 (F), computed across 7 dimensions.

Cost
37/100
Below average
Wages
69/100
Strong
Rent
19/100
Bottom decile
Crime
2/100
Bottom decile
Schools
53/100
Average
Childcare
66/100
Strong
Environment
22/100
Weak

LiveAbility Score

View full rankings →

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin ranks #337 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 38.3/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →

Strongest dimension: Climate (89/100)

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin - dimension scores

Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)

/100

What this shows Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's strongest dimensions are climate and job market; its weakest is safety at 2/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.

Source BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · NOAA · FEMA As of Federal data, latest available vintage

Other Major Metro Areas

Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.

Compare Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin Side-by-Side With Other Metros

This page is a relocation deep-dive on Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.

Compare Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin with another metro →

Thinking about Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?

How to use this profile before you commit to a move.

  • Pressure-test Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
  • Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 96.3 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
  • Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder

Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 96.3, where 100 represents the national average. Housing costs index at 104.6, which is above the national average. The average 2-bedroom rent is $1,730/month.
What is the median salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The median salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin is $67,856 annually (mean: $71,472). Top occupations include Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Retail Salespersons.
How safe is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The violent crime rate in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area is 602 per 100,000 population (state-level data). Property crime rate is 2058 per 100K.
What are the schools like in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The state of TN has 1,844 schools (state-level data, no metro-level federal count exists) with an average student-teacher ratio of 15.3:1. Charter schools make up 6.2% of all schools.
How much does childcare cost in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Infant center-based childcare in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area averages $7,860 per year. Preschool averages $6,190/year. These are state-level averages.
Is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin a good place to relocate?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Life Score of 38.3/100 (F), based on 7 dimensions: cost of living, wages, rent, crime, schools, childcare, and environment. This places Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin in the bottom decile of scored metros; compare individual dimensions to see where the biggest gaps are.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →

Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.