State relocation profile · Federal data
Tennessee
Tennessee sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 91.9
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,118
- 2BR rent / mo
- $66,637
- Median salary
- 45
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Tennessee ranks #37 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (45/100, D), with its strongest marks in childcare and cost of living.
- #37 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 45
- Life Score · D
- 91.9
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $66,637
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: safety (4/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Tennessee ranks #37 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 91.9 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,118/mo, median salary $66,637; Life Score 45/100 (D), strongest in childcare and cost of living.
Signature: BEA RPP 91.9 ranks #14 of 51 states for lower prices (cheaper third of the corpus).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 91.9 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,118/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $66,637.
Composite Life Score 45/100 (D) puts Tennessee in the bottom third (#37 of 51).
Metro book is dense (10 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet TN · Tennessee 45/100 · D · #37 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-CHILDCARE · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-LOWER #37/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.5 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 91.9
- LEAD-CHILDCARE Lead · childcare
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Colorado ( -0.5 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Tennessee
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Tennessee on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Tennessee childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Tennessee (infant $7,860/yr leads the book).
Tennessee Life Score breakdown
Tennessee composites to 45/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #37 of 51.
Tennessee - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Childcare
Childcare
75 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
74 /100
- Schools
Schools
64 /100
- Rent
Rent
62 /100
- Wages 24
Wages
24 /100
- Environment 16
Environment
16 /100
- Safety 4
Safety
4 /100
What this shows Tennessee's strongest dimensions are childcare and cost of living; its weakest among scored dims is safety at 4/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Tennessee on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Tennessee on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Tennessee
Explore detailed relocation data for 10 metropolitan areas in Tennessee. Tennessee contains 10 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Chattanooga, Clarksville, Cleveland and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Chattanooga metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Tennessee cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Tennessee wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.