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Living in Tennessee · 2026

Is $60,000 enough to live in Tennessee?

Single adult · TN · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$4,193

Avg monthly expenses

$2,332

Avg monthly surplus

$1,861

Savings potential

~44%

After-tax take-home in Tennessee

Gross salary$60,000
Federal income tax− $5,094
State income tax− $0
Social Security− $3,720
Medicare− $870
Annual take-home$50,316
Effective tax rate16.14%

How $60,000 feels in Tennessee cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Nashville

COL index: 1.31× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,900
Food
$475
Transport
$229
Utilities
$216
Healthcare
$262
Total: $3,082/mo
Surplus: $1,111/mo
Rent burden: 45.3% — High (35–50%)
Full Nashville analysis →

Memphis

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$387
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,978/mo
Surplus: $2,215/mo
Rent burden: 26.2% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Memphis analysis →

Knoxville

COL index: 1.03× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,300
Food
$405
Transport
$180
Utilities
$170
Healthcare
$206
Total: $2,261/mo
Surplus: $1,932/mo
Rent burden: 31.0% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Knoxville analysis →

Chattanooga

COL index: 1.00× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,250
Food
$396
Transport
$175
Utilities
$165
Healthcare
$200
Total: $2,186/mo
Surplus: $2,007/mo
Rent burden: 29.8% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Chattanooga analysis →

Clarksville

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,150
Food
$405
Transport
$166
Utilities
$157
Healthcare
$190
Total: $2,068/mo
Surplus: $2,125/mo
Rent burden: 27.4% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Clarksville analysis →

Murfreesboro

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$431
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,414/mo
Surplus: $1,779/mo
Rent burden: 33.4% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Murfreesboro analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $4,193 ($50,316/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$2,097

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$1,258

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$839

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$25,158

Wants / year

$15,095

Savings / year

$10,063

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Nashville

Rent would consume 45% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 5/10 (Fair)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $60,000 salary comfortably supports a fair single lifestyle in Nashville, Tennessee, with approximately $1,111/month (~26% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Nashville's above-average cost of living (index: 1.31) means $60,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $45,802 in an average-cost US city, or $54,046 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$60,000 is 58% above the Tennessee individual median of $38,000 and 7% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$38,000

+58%

State household median

$65,619

-9%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$60,000 vs. Tennessee income benchmarks

Individual median (Tennessee)

$38,000

+58% vs. this salary

Household median (Tennessee)

$65,619

-9% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Tennessee

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.