Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin Pinehurst-Southern Pines

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 96.3 → 88.3
Rent Delta: -$372/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $372/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

  • - $9K lower median salary
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to Pinehurst-Southern Pines shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 96.3 to 88.3 (100 = US average), so a Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary needs to be multiplied by 0.92 to hold the same purchasing power in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,730/month in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to $1,358/month in Pinehurst-Southern Pines - a lower monthly bill of $372, or $4,464/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $67,856 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin versus $59,014 in Pinehurst-Southern Pines - a raw gap of $8,842 lower. The Pinehurst-Southern Pines labor market has 36,690 tracked jobs against 1,079,340 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin and Pinehurst-Southern Pines are 602 and 365 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 15.3:1 at origin versus 15.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,860/year in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin versus $9,487/year in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 96.3
RPP 88.3
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,730/mo
$1,358/mo
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
💼 Wages
$67,856
$59,014
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
🔒 Crime
602 per 100K
365 per 100K
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
🎓 Schools
15.3:1
15.8:1
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
👶 Childcare
$7,860/yr
$9,487/yr
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
🌿 Environment
1091 violations
2788 violations
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to see what you'd need to earn in Pinehurst-Southern Pines to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pinehurst-Southern Pines more expensive than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Pinehurst-Southern Pines has an RPP of 88.3 compared to Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's 96.3 (100 = national average). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Pinehurst-Southern Pines is $1,358/mo vs $1,730/mo in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin.
What are salaries like in Pinehurst-Southern Pines compared to Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The median salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines is $59,014 compared to $67,856 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin. That's a -$8,842 difference.
Is Pinehurst-Southern Pines safer than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The violent crime rate near Pinehurst-Southern Pines is 365 per 100K vs 602 per 100K near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin (state-level data). Pinehurst-Southern Pines has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Pinehurst-Southern Pines to match my Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary by 0.92. For example, a $75,000 salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin would need to be $68,770 in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)