Dallas vs Nashville
Two markets on the list for people leaving LA. Here's how they stack up on price, pace and taxes, measured against what a typical LA home sells for.
| Dallas, TX | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $512K | $483K |
| Median single-family | $570K | $530K |
| Median condo | $271K | $379K |
| Median $/sq ft | $262 | $277 |
| Median days on market | 40 | 59 |
| Avg sale-to-list | 97.6% | 98.1% |
| Sq ft for $1M (at median $/sq ft) | 3,820 | 3,610 |
| Californians who moved to the state (2024) | 77,161 | 19,670 |
Redfin Data Center, May 2026, all residential unless noted. Typical LA County zip for reference: $904K median, $588/sq ft, 44 median days on market. Mover counts: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024, estimates with margins of error.
The short version
Nashville is the less expensive of the two at the median, about $483K versus $512K in Dallas, roughly 6% less (Redfin, May 2026). Price per square foot points the other way: Dallas runs about $262 per square foot against $277 in Nashville, so the gap in median price says more about home size than about the cost of space. Dallas homes have been moving faster, 40 median days on market versus 59 in Nashville. Neither state taxes wage income, so the tax comparison comes down to property tax, insurance and sales tax on a specific home. In 2024 about 77,000 Californians moved to Texas and about 20,000 to Tennessee (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
Taxes
Dallas: None on wages (Texas has no personal income tax). Nashville: None on wages (Tennessee fully repealed its Hall tax on investment income in 2021). Property tax, insurance and HOA costs vary by address in both places and can matter as much as income tax, so price them for any specific home.
Go deeper
Read the full guides: moving from LA to Dallas and moving from LA to Nashville.
Common questions
Is Dallas or Nashville cheaper?
Nashville had the lower median sale price, about $483K versus $512K in Dallas (Redfin, May 2026), roughly 6% less at the median.
Which has lower state income tax, Dallas or Nashville?
Neither state taxes wage income. Texas has no personal income tax. Tennessee has no tax on wage income. Property tax, insurance and sales tax make the difference here. Rates change, so confirm with each state and a CPA.
What does $1 million buy in Dallas vs Nashville?
At the median price per square foot, $1 million works out to roughly 3,820 square feet in Dallas and 3,610 in Nashville, versus about 1,700 at the LA median. A rough illustration, not a listing.
