Memphis, TN vs Tampa, FL
Moving from Memphis to Tampa? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $360,738 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Tampa 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 $111,448 in Tampa, FL (+$11,448).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Tampa, FL: 65 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 2,564 sqft in Tampa ($124 vs $195 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Tampa, FL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $24,216 | +$6,924 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $4,949 | +$233 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $4,800 | +$1,670 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $1,656 | +$48 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $4,200 | +$2,000 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $4,642 | −$515 |
| Total | $34,103 | $44,463 | +$10,360 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Tampa, FL |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.92% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 7.3% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 51 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $360,738 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.4× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | -3.4% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $195 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $2,018 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 9.1% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 7.02% |
| Capital gains tax | None | None |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.80% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,500 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $10,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 28 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $4,200 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $1,400 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 15.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 380 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 91 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 52 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |