Memphis, TN vs Baltimore, MD
Moving from Memphis to Baltimore? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $405,877 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Baltimore at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Memphis, TN, you'd need about $112,221 in Baltimore, MD (+$12,221).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Baltimore, MD: 57 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 2,341 sqft in Baltimore ($124 vs $214 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Baltimore, MD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $23,028 | +$5,736 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $5,075 | +$360 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,685 | +$555 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $2,388 | +$780 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,400 | −$800 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $11,584 | +$6,427 |
| Total | $34,103 | $47,160 | +$13,057 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Baltimore, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 103.2 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.86% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 1.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 47 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.87 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $405,877 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 4.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $214 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $1,919 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 11.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 6.00% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 1.04% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 30 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,400 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $750 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 22.1 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 450 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 27 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |