Nashville vs Raleigh
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.
- RaleighCheaper to buy$489 a month less on the typical home
- RaleighMilder wintersJanuary lows 30.1°F in Nashville, 31.8°F in Raleigh
- 2 vs 7Better onMeasures where Nashville vs Raleigh comes out ahead
Side by side
Money
- Typical home for sale1
- Nashville
- $533,995
- Raleigh
- Lower$445,000
- Monthly mortgage on it2
- Nashville
- $2,935
- Raleigh
- Lower$2,445
- 2-bedroom rent3
- Nashville
- Lower$1,666
- Raleigh
- $1,673
- Price per square foot1
- Nashville
- $259
- Raleigh
- Lower$213
- Everyday prices4
- Nashville
- Lower4% below avg
- Raleigh
- 2% below avg
- Housing costs4
- Nashville
- 5% above avg
- Raleigh
- Lower3% above avg
- Salary that matches $150,000 in New York4
- Nashville
- $128,379
- Raleigh
- $130,803
Weather
Trips home and more
See it as one table, with sources
| Measure | Nashville | Raleigh | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home for sale | $533,995 | $445,000 | Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026 |
| Monthly mortgage on it | $2,935 | $2,445 | Principal and interest, 20% down, 7.32% |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,666 | $1,673 | Census ACS 2025, incl. utilities |
| Price per square foot | $259 | $213 | Realtor.com via FRED |
| Everyday prices | 4% below avg | 2% below avg | BEA regional price parities, 2024 |
| Housing costs | 5% above avg | 3% above avg | BEA, 2024 |
| Salary that matches $150,000 in New York | $128,379 | $130,803 | BEA price parities, 2024 |
| January low | 30.1°F | 31.8°F | NOAA 1991-2020 normals |
| July high | 90.9°F | 90.8°F | NOAA 1991-2020 normals |
| Snow per year | 4.7 in | 5.2 in | NOAA 1991-2020 normals |
| Nonstop to New York | Yes, BNA | Yes, RDU | Airport route pages, October 2026 |
| Net move-ins from other US metros, 2024-25 | +16,967 | +19,974 | US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 |
| Average commute, one way | 28 min | 26 min | Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025 |
| Pays you to move | No program | No program | Official program pages, October 2026 |
Which one fits you
Pick Raleigh if you want
- Lower home prices
- A smaller monthly payment
- More space for the money
- Lower housing and rent costs
- Milder winters
- Cooler summers
- A shorter commute
More comparisons
Nashville vs Raleigh: questions people ask
Is Nashville or Raleigh cheaper?
Raleigh has the lower median listed home ($445,000 against $533,995, Realtor.com via FRED). On a mortgage for each median home that is about $489 a month less in principal and interest. Everyday prices: 96.3 in Nashville, 98.2 in Raleigh (BEA, 2024, US = 100).
Which has milder winters, Nashville or Raleigh?
Raleigh. January lows average 30.1°F in Nashville and 31.8°F in Raleigh (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
What changes if I move from Nashville to Raleigh?
The monthly payment on the median listed home goes from $2,935 to $2,445, and a salary of $100,000 in Nashville buys what about $101,888 buys in Raleigh (Realtor.com via FRED; BEA regional price parities, 2024). Moving the other way, from Raleigh to Nashville, reverses both numbers.
Is it better to live in Nashville or Raleigh?
Nashville comes out ahead on lower rent, lower everyday prices. Raleigh comes out ahead on lower home prices, a smaller monthly payment, more space for the money. The right one depends on which of those matters most to your household.
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Notes on the numbers
- 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026.
- 2Monthly mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
- 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
- 4Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, compared with the US average. Everyday price bars run from 75 to 135 and housing bars from 40 to 160, where the US average is 100.
- 5Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals.
- 6Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
- 7Net move-ins: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025.
- 8Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Census table
- 9Incentives: official program pages, October 2026.
Sources for this page
- Nashville home prices: Realtor.com via FRED MEDLISPRI34980
- Raleigh home prices: Realtor.com via FRED MEDLISPRI39580
- BEA regional price parities via FRED, 2024
- NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals
- Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026
- Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities)
- © Realtor.com, Housing Inventory Core Metrics (median listing price and median listing price per square foot), retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis