Washington-Arlington-Alexandria → Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Pros of Moving
- + 13% lower cost of living
- + $516/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $15K lower median salary
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Moving from Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 108.9 to 96.3 (100 = US average), so a Washington-Arlington-Alexandria salary needs to be multiplied by 0.88 to hold the same purchasing power in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,246/month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to $1,730/month in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin - a lower monthly bill of $516, or $6,192/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 $82,744 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria versus $67,856 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin - a raw gap of $14,888 lower. The Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin labor market has 1,079,340 tracked jobs against 3,082,600 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin are 1015 and 602 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 12.3:1 at origin versus 15.3:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $25,480/year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria versus $7,860/year in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to see what you'd need to earn in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to maintain the same purchasing power.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin more expensive than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
What are salaries like in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compared to Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin safer than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
How much would I need to earn in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to match my Washington-Arlington-Alexandria salary?
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
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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)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.