Moving from Austin to Memphis

The Story

Austin-to-Memphis is dramatic cost-relief move preserving 0% tax (both TX and TN). Housing 58% CHEAPER ($475K → $200K — Memphis is among most affordable major US metros), COL 26% lower. Pull: FedEx WorldPort, AutoZone HQ, blues/soul music heritage, BBQ, Memphis Grizzlies. Lifestyle move for cost-conscious.

Why This Move

Why people move from Austin to Memphis.

Housing 58% cheaper — $475K Austin becomes $200K Memphis (Memphis is bargain-cheap)
Cost of living 26% lower
Both 0% income tax — preserve tax-free status
FedEx WorldPort HQ — global logistics hub
AutoZone HQ — Fortune 500
Blues/soul music heritage (Beale Street, Sun Studio)
BBQ culture — pulled pork capital
Property taxes lower (TN 0.7% vs TX 1.6-2.3%) — significant offset

Cost Comparison

The money side of TX → TN.

Austin

Median home$475,000
Income tax0% (TX)
Cost index119

Memphis

Median home$200,000
Income tax0% (TN)
Cost index88

What to Do in Memphis

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Memphis, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Culture & Arts

Graceland — Elvis Presley's mansion — second-most-visited US home after the White House
Beale Street — Three blocks of blues clubs, BB King's, Rum Boogie — birthplace of the blues
National Civil Rights Museum (Lorraine Motel) — Built around the motel where MLK was assassinated; defining American history
Sun Studio — Where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison recorded — still operating
Stax Museum of American Soul Music — Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, soul music history
FedExForum (Grizzlies NBA) — NBA basketball; Memphis Grizzlies home
Crosstown Concourse — Repurposed Sears tower — restaurants, arts, theater, residential

Family-Friendly

Memphis Zoo — Top-ranked US zoo; pandas (one of four US zoos with them)
Peabody Hotel Ducks — Daily 11am/5pm duck march through lobby since 1933
Mud Island River Park — Mississippi River Museum and scale-model river walk

Where to Eat

Memphis's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Memphis resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Charles Vergos' Rendezvous BBQ ribs Downtown

Memphis dry-rub rib institution since 1948
Central BBQ BBQ Multiple

Hot-smoked pulled pork, ribs, brisket — locals' favorite
Cozy Corner BBQ North Memphis

BBQ Cornish hen and rib tips — anonymous-looking dive worth seeking out
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken Fried chicken Downtown (original)

Spicy fried chicken now national; original is here
Hog & Hominy Italian-Southern East Memphis

Andy Ticer + Michael Hudman — James Beard nominees
Felicia Suzanne's Southern fine dining Downtown

James Beard semifinalist — Southern with Creole touches
The Beauty Shop Eclectic American Cooper-Young

Karen Carrier; restaurant in former 1940s beauty salon
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Italian East Memphis

House-made pasta; James Beard semifinalist

Where to Live

Best Memphis neighborhoods for Austin transplants.

Mapped to the Austin neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Cooper-Young

If East Austin was your scene — walkable, art, restaurants, hip
Crosstown

If Mueller was your model — walkable, family, mixed-use
Germantown (suburb)

If Westlake was your goal — affluent, top schools, $700K+
Collierville (suburb)

If Cedar Park was your model — master-planned, top schools
East Memphis

If South Austin was your speed — walkable, restaurants, family
Bartlett (suburb)

If Round Rock was your model — family suburb, top schools

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Memphis.

Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot, humid summers (72-91°F). Mild winters (32-50°F) with occasional ice. Spring storms and tornado risk. 54 inches rainfall, 217 sun days.

Summer72-91°F
Winter32-50°F
Sun days/yr217
Rainfall54 inches

Walkability

Walk Score38/100
Transit Score30/100
Bike Score50/100

Memphis is car-dependent — most errands require driving.

Outdoors & Recreation

Shelby Farms Park — 4,500 acres (5x Central Park) with Shelby Farms Greenline trail
Mississippi Riverfront / Tom Lee Park — newly redesigned downtown waterfront
Wolf River Greenway — 36-mile multi-use trail
Overton Park — 342 acres with old-growth forest
Mud Island and the Mississippi

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

Housing 58% cheaper — meaningful savings
COL 26% lower
Both 0% income tax — no change
Climate similar humid subtropical — Memphis slightly more humid (Mississippi River)
Property taxes lower (TN 0.7% vs TX 1.6-2.3%) — significant offset
CapMetro → MATA (similar)
Tech (Tesla, Apple, Oracle) → logistics (FedEx)/AutoZone retail
Sports — gain Grizzlies, lose Longhorns + Austin FC

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-35 N to I-30 E to I-40 W

850 miles via Dallas, Little Rock. 13 hours / 1-2 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 850 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$4,200-$7,800
Container/PODS$3,000-$5,200
DIY (26-ft truck)$2,200-$4,000
Best monthsMar-Nov
Lead time4-6 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions