Moving from Memphis to New Orleans

The Story

Memphis-to-NOLA is St. Jude → Tulane Med + Boeing Michoud move. TN 0% → LA 3% costs $3,000/yr. Housing 26% MORE, COL 19% higher. Pull: Tulane Medicine + Ochsner Health (St. Jude pediatric bridge — Ochsner Children's), Boeing Michoud Assembly, jazz/Creole culture, French Quarter.

Why This Move

Why people move from Memphis to New Orleans.

Tulane Medicine + Ochsner Health (St. Jude pediatric bridge)
Boeing Michoud Assembly — External Tank, Orion
Jazz + Creole culture, French Quarter
Port of New Orleans — global trade
Mardi Gras + festivals year-round
Saints + Pelicans sports
Cajun/Creole food culture (BBQ-adjacent)
Mississippi River + Gulf access

Cost Comparison

The money side of TN → LA.

Memphis

Median home$235,000
Income tax0% (TN)
Cost index78

New Orleans

Median home$295,000
Income tax3% (LA flat)
Cost index93

What to Do in New Orleans

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

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

Outdoors & Recreation

Garden District — Antebellum mansions, Magazine Street shopping, streetcar access
City Park — 1,300 acres (larger than Central Park); NOMA museum, oak grove, sculpture garden

Culture & Arts

French Quarter — 78 blocks of 18th-century Spanish/French architecture; Bourbon Street, Royal Street antiques
Jackson Square / St. Louis Cathedral — Iconic French Quarter heart; oldest cathedral in continuous use in US
National WWII Museum — Top-rated US museum; immersive WWII experience
Frenchmen Street — Live music nightly — locals' alternative to Bourbon Street
Preservation Hall — Traditional jazz nightly since 1961
St. Charles Streetcar — Oldest continuously operating streetcar line in world (1835)
Mardi Gras (February) — Two weeks of parades culminating Fat Tuesday; defining annual experience

Family-Friendly

Audubon Zoo / Aquarium — World-class zoo in Audubon Park; aquarium downtown

Where to Eat

New Orleans's essential restaurants.

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

Commander's Palace Haute Creole Garden District

Brennan family icon since 1893; Emeril and Paul Prudhomme alumni
Café du Monde Beignets/coffee French Quarter

Open 24/7 since 1862; chicory coffee and powdered-sugar beignets
Cochon Cajun/Southern Warehouse District

Donald Link; James Beard winner; whole-hog cooking
Galatoire's Creole French Quarter (Bourbon St)

Friday lunch is a New Orleans institution since 1905
Compère Lapin Caribbean-Creole Warehouse District

Nina Compton (Top Chef); James Beard winner
Domilise's Po-Boys Po'boys Uptown

Dive po'boy shop since 1918; locals' choice
Willa Jean Southern brunch/bakery Warehouse District

Kelly Fields biscuits and brunch
Saba Israeli-Mediterranean Uptown

Alon Shaya; James Beard winner — pita made tableside

Where to Live

Best New Orleans neighborhoods for Memphis transplants.

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

Marigny

If Cooper-Young was your scene — walkable urban, music, restaurants
Bywater

If Midtown was your vibe — artsy, walkable, indie
Garden District

If East Memphis was your goal — affluent historic
Lakeview

If you wanted lakes — family, top schools
Metairie (suburb)

If Germantown was your model — family, top schools
Uptown

If you wanted historic — streetcar, walkable

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in New Orleans.

Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot humid summers (75-91°F) with near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Mild winters (45-65°F). Hurricane risk June-November (always carry insurance). 64 inches rainfall, 216 sun days/year.

Summer75-91°F
Winter45-65°F
Sun days/yr216
Rainfall64 inches

Walkability

Walk Score58/100
Transit Score47/100
Bike Score56/100

New Orleans is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.

Outdoors & Recreation

City Park — 1,300 acres, oak grove, NOMA, sculpture garden, lagoons
Audubon Park — Uptown park along the river with golf and zoo
Bayou St. John — kayaking through Mid-City
Crescent Park — riverfront promenade with Mississippi views
Jean Lafitte National Park (30 min south) — bayou/swamp tours
Lake Pontchartrain — fishing, sailing, 24-mile causeway

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

TN 0% becomes LA 3% — costs $3,000/year on $100K
Housing 26% MORE — $235K Memphis becomes $295K NOLA
COL 19% higher
Climate flips humid subtropical to humid subtropical (NOLA more humid)
Hurricane season Jun-Nov
Property tax LA 0.6% similar to TN 0.7%
St. Jude → Ochsner Children's direct pediatric bridge
Sports — gain Saints/Pelicans, lose Grizzlies

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-55 S

395 miles via Jackson MS. 6 hours / 1 day.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 395 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$2,800-$5,500
Container/PODS$2,000-$3,500
DIY (26-ft truck)$1,500-$2,800
Best monthsOct-May (avoid summer + hurricane peak)
Lead time4-6 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions