Head to head
Houston, TX vs Nashville, TN
Houston is cheaper — estimated essentials for a single person run about $155/mo less, and living comfortably there takes roughly $3,500 less in annual salary (taxes included).
It flips for a family. For two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child, Nashville is the cheaper of the two — rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities than rent does.
| Metric | Houston57 | Nashville72 |
|---|---|---|
| Est. monthly cost (single) | $4,046 | $4,201 |
| Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare) | $9,579 | $9,104 |
| Salary for comfort | $70,500/yr | $74,000/yr |
| Typical rent | $1,573 | $1,730 |
| Median home value | $253,400 | $383,100 |
| Median household income | $62,894 | $75,197 |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 2.9% |
| Housing score | 50 | 44 |
| Jobs score | 36 | 96 |
| Safety score | 4 | 35 |
| Climate score | 100 | 100 |
| Amenities score | 69 | 77 |
| Population | 2.3M | 684.3K |
| Summer high / winter low | 92° / 45° | 89° / 28° |
Fit scores use the reference profile (single, $6,700/mo gross, default weights). Green marks the better value per row.
Houston, TX
Nashville, TN