Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin Durham-Chapel Hill

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to Durham-Chapel Hill is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.3 to 97.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $19/mo.

+$3,601
BLS median salary higher in Durham-Chapel Hill
602 to 365
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.3:1 to 15.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$1,627
DOL infant care higher / yr in Durham-Chapel Hill

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.

Verdict
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 96.3 → 97.6
Rent Delta: -$19/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $4K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 96.3 to 97.6 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,730 → $1,711); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Durham-Chapel Hill sits #216 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin is #337/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,601 higher ($67,856 → $71,457). Labor-market size: 1,079,340 tracked jobs at origin vs 295,700 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Durham-Chapel Hill
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.3
RPP 97.6
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Rent (2BR)
$1,730/mo
$1,711/mo
Durham-Chapel Hill
Wages
$67,856
$71,457
Durham-Chapel Hill
Crime
602 per 100K
365 per 100K
Durham-Chapel Hill
Schools
15.3:1
15.8:1
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Childcare
$7,860/yr
$9,487/yr
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Environment
1192 violations
3120 violations
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Tennessee
66 C #17/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
36
Destination state · North Carolina
68 C #13/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
66
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
30

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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to see what you'd need to earn in Durham-Chapel Hill to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Durham-Chapel Hill
-

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