California vs Tennessee
A $100,000 income in California is worth
$90,334
at national prices · RPP 110.7BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
In Tennessee, the same income is worth
$108,814
at national prices · RPP 91.9BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
$100,000 has $18,480 more purchasing power in Tennessee.
Decision shortcut
To match $100,000 in California, you would need about $83,017in Tennessee.
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Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | California | Tennessee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 110.7 | 91.9 | −17.0% |
| Housing rents | 154.3 | 79.1 | −48.7% |
| Goods | 106.1 | 96.2 | −9.3% |
| Utilities | 158.9 | 72.1 | −54.6% |
| Other services | 102.6 | 95.1 | −7.3% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | California | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 13.30% | None |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 8.99% | 9.61% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
California vs Tennessee: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in California and Tennessee: its purchasing power is $90,334 and $108,814, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $18,480. Tennessee is the cheaper of the two, running at 91.9 on the price index versus 110.7.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is utilities: California sits at 158.9 and Tennessee at 72.1 (100 = national). Tennessee has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $2,036 in California against $1,189 in Tennessee, and the typical home $734,700 versus $286,700. Tennessee is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, California has 13.30% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 8.99%; Tennessee has no wage income tax and 9.61%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: California ·Tennessee. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
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