Performance
Score Breakdown
Nashville
New York City
Livability
Affordability
Business
Growth
Expenses
Cost of Living
Nashville is the more affordable option overall — monthly living expenses run approximately
30% lower compared to New York City.
Housing costs are a major driver: Nashville's average rent is
35% lower than New York City's.
| Metric | Nashville | New York City | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rent | $2,200 | $3,382 | -35% |
| Groceries | $300 | $520 | -42% |
| Utilities | $200 | $370 | -46% |
| Transport | $400 | $130 | +208% |
| Healthcare | $135 | $250 | -46% |
| Monthly Total | $3,235 | $4,652 | -30% |
| Cost Index | 98 | 178 | out of 100 |
Income
Salary & Income
New York City offers 24% lower average salaries.
However, when adjusted for local cost of living, Nashville delivers stronger purchasing power —
meaning your dollar stretches further day-to-day.
The minimum comfortable salary in Nashville is estimated at
$76,000 vs $61,000 in New York City.
| Metric | Nashville | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Average Salary | $77,000 | $100,877 |
| Salary Needed | $76,000 | $61,000 |
| Purchasing Power | 78,571 idx | 56,672 idx |
| Household Income | $77,371 | $80,483 |
Weather
Climate Comparison
Both cities share a similar average temperature, within 0°F of each other.
| Metric | Nashville | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | °F | °F |
| Summer High | °F | °F |
| Winter Low | °F | °F |
| Rainfall | in | in |
| Snowfall | in | in |
| Sunny Days | ||
| Humidity | 70.00% | 63.00% |
Mobility
Commute & Transport
Nashville has the shorter commute — saving residents roughly
7,500 minutes (125 hours) per year compared to New York City.
New York City scores higher for public transit, making it the better choice for car-free living.
For walkability, New York City leads — a better score here means more amenities reachable on foot.
| Metric | Nashville | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Commute Time | 28 min | 43 min |
| Transit Score | 13.0/10 | 88.0/10 |
| Walkability | 29.0/10 | 89.0/10 |
| Traffic Index | 38.00 | 167.60 |
| Car Dependency | High | Low |
Population
Economy & Demographics
New York City is the larger city
— approximately 0.1x the population of Nashville.
From a growth perspective, Nashville is expanding faster, signaling stronger demand for housing, jobs, and services.
On the employment side, Nashville has a lower unemployment rate, reflecting a tighter and more competitive job market.
| Metric | Nashville | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 704,963 | 8,585,000 |
| Pop. Growth | 0.76% | % |
| Median Age | 34.5 | 38.2 |
| Unemployment | 2.70% | 4.90% |
| GDP | $204.9B | $1,354.0B |
At a Glance
Pros & Cons
Nashville
Advantages
Nashville boasts a strong job market with a low unemployment rate of 2.7% as of May 2026, well below the national average.
The city's economy is highly diversified, with significant growth in healthcare, technology, and entertainment sectors.
Nashville is recognized as a fast-growing startup scene globally, with a strong entrepreneurial climate and a growth score of 68.2.
The city experiences significant population growth, with a projected annual rate of 0.76% for 2026, indicating continued dynamism.
Tourism is a major economic driver, generating substantial revenue and supporting numerous jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry [cite: 10, 38 in previous search].
Drawbacks
Nashville experiences significant traffic congestion, ranking as the 11th worst in the U.S. in 2024, leading to an average of 63 hours lost in traffic annually per driver.
Housing affordability remains a concern, with the average rent at $2,200 per month and median home prices around $475,000, which can be challenging for residents.
The city has low walkability and transit scores (29 and 13 respectively), indicating a high dependency on cars for daily commuting.
Nashville's overall crime rate is higher than the national average, although violent crime is often concentrated in specific areas.
While the city is a healthcare hub, specific quality rankings for healthcare were not readily available, and some healthcare hiring has cooled in the metro area [cite: 7 in previous search].
New York City
Advantages
New York City is the most linguistically diverse city globally, with an estimated 800 languages spoken.
The city boasts a world-class public transportation system, with a transit score of 88 and a walkability score of 89.
New York City's private sector employment reached a record high of 4.25 million jobs in December 2024.
Overall index crime in New York City saw a nearly 3% reduction in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of declines.
New York City is a global hub for finance, media, tech, healthcare, and tourism, offering unparalleled opportunities.
Drawbacks
The cost of living in New York City is 78% higher than the national average, making it one of the most expensive cities globally.
Median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan reached $4,595 in April 2024.
The city experienced a population decline of 12,000 residents between June 2024 and July 2025.
New York City has a high traffic index of 167.6 and an average commute time of 43.34 minutes.
Housing affordability has reached a crisis due to high costs and a slow pace of new housing construction.
Explore
Dive Deeper
Key figures side by side — see which city wins each category at a glance.
Nashville
#24Tennessee, USA
73.0 / 100 overall
Avg Rent
$2,200
Avg Salary
$77,000
Cost Index
98
Commute
28 min
Transit Score
13.0/10
Walkability
29.0/10
Sunny Days
/yr
Avg Temp
°F
Pop. Growth
0.76%
Unemployment
2.70%
Livability
70
Business
78
New York City
#78New York, USA
68.0 / 100 overall
Avg Rent
$3,382
Avg Salary
$100,877
Cost Index
178
Commute
43 min
Transit Score
88.0/10
Walkability
89.0/10
Sunny Days
/yr
Avg Temp
°F
Pop. Growth
%
Unemployment
4.90%
Livability
70
Business
62
Calculate Your Cost Impact
Estimate the salary you'd need when moving between Nashville and New York City.
Open Cost Calculator