Memphis, TN vs Charlotte, NC
Moving from Memphis to Charlotte? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $390,321 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Charlotte 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 $105,847 in Charlotte, NC (+$5,847).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Charlotte, NC: 66 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 2,561 sqft in Charlotte ($124 vs $195 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Charlotte, NC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $20,880 | +$3,588 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $4,834 | +$119 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,130 | +$0 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $1,752 | +$144 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $2,000 | −$200 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $8,740 | +$3,583 |
| Total | $34,103 | $41,336 | +$7,233 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Charlotte, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 97.3 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.71% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 10.0% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 53 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.54 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $390,321 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.1× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | -0.4% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $195 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $1,740 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 6.98% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 4.25% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.72% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $6,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $10,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 1.10% |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $2,000 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,400 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 16.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.20 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 400 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 89 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 30 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |