Memphis, TN vs Denver, CO
Moving from Memphis to Denver? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $573,221 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Denver 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 $115,031 in Denver, CO (+$15,031).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Denver, CO: 52 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 1,657 sqft in Denver ($124 vs $302 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Denver, CO | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $22,920 | +$5,628 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $5,079 | +$364 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $4,050 | +$920 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $1,788 | +$180 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $2,800 | +$600 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $9,828 | +$4,670 |
| Total | $34,103 | $46,464 | +$12,362 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Denver, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 105.8 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.26% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 5.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 64 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $6.02 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $573,221 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.9× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $302 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $1,910 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 9.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 7.77% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 4.40% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.52% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $6,800 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 1.79% |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 28 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $2,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 16.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 490 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 18 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |