Memphis, TN vs Washington, DC
Moving from Memphis to Washington? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $583,013 median home) and taxes.
Memphis vs Washington 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 $124,444 in Washington, DC (+$24,444).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Washington, DC: 39 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 1,286 sqft in Washington ($124 vs $389 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Washington, DC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $28,992 | +$11,700 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $5,318 | +$602 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,855 | +$725 |
| Utilities | $4,764 | $7,932 | +$3,168 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $3,343 | $9,000 | +$5,658 |
| Total | $33,424 | $55,277 | +$21,853 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Memphis, TN: 3.3% · Washington, DC: 9.0% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Washington, DC |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 109.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 4.87% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 4.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 49 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $6.23 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $583,013 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 4.9× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $389 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $2,416 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 7.6% | 12.0% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 6.00% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 10.75% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.95% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 72.0 yrs | 80.8 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 11.2% | 7.4% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 66 | 87 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $26,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 64 | 31 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 2 | 1 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 93% | 93% |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 34 |
| Commute by driving alone | 79.6% | 56.8% |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,400 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 92.9 — Relatively Moderate | 82.9 — Relatively Moderate |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 25.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.40 |
| Natural gas / mo | $62 | $80 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $121 | $271 |
| Home internet / mo | $80 | $81 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 600 | 1,000 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 29 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 54.9 | 41.8 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 2.7 | 13.7 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 64% | 56% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |
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