What salary do you need to live in Memphis, TN?
For a single person: about $58,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TN-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,180 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and no state income tax (Tennessee doesn't have one).
Single person — est. essentials $3,383/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,383/mo
$48,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,060/mo
$58,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,075/mo
$74,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,629/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,629/mo
$64,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,555/mo
$78,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $6,944/mo
$98,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $5,593/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,593/mo
$78,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,712/mo
$95,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,390/mo
$120,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,450/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,450/mo
$91,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,740/mo
$110,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,675/mo
$141,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,180) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Tennessee's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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