Memphis, TN vs Cincinnati, OH
Moving from Memphis to Cincinnati? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $311,270 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Cincinnati 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 $102,476 in Cincinnati, OH (+$2,476).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Cincinnati, OH: 70 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 2,651 sqft in Cincinnati ($124 vs $189 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Cincinnati, OH | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $18,900 | +$1,608 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $4,718 | +$3 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,025 | −$105 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $2,100 | +$492 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,300 | −$900 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $8,820 | +$3,663 |
| Total | $34,103 | $38,863 | +$4,760 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Cincinnati, OH |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 94.2 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.37% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 4.5% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 54 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.36 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $311,270 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 4.1× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | 2.5% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $189 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $1,575 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 10.0% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 7.24% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 3.50% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 1.26% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $6,400 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $10,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 25 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,300 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,300 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $600 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 19.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.25 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 300 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 20 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |