Kingsport-Bristol → Memphis
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Kingsport-Bristol to Memphis is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 86.4 to 92.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $230/mo.
- +$7,446
- BLS median salary higher in Memphis
- 602 to 602
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.3:1 to 15.3:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $0
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Memphis
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + $7K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 6% higher cost of living
- - $230/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 86.4 to 92.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Memphis (ratio 1.07). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $230/mo ($2,760/yr) from $1,044 in Kingsport-Bristol to $1,274 in Memphis.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (1 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Memphis sits #300 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Kingsport-Bristol is #96/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,446 higher ($57,656 → $65,102). Labor-market size: 111,690 tracked jobs at origin vs 597,090 at destination.
Both metros sit in Tennessee: state retirement score 66 (C, #17/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 36
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Kingsport-Bristol to see what you'd need to earn in Memphis to maintain the same purchasing power.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026