Moving from Houston to Memphis?
Houston to Memphis — both 0%-tax states (TX/TN), 31% cheaper housing, FedEx/AutoZone careers, 19% lower COL.
- 565 mi Distance
- 9 hr Drive time
- 31% lower Home prices
- 217 Sun days/year
Houston-to-Memphis is one of the rare 0%-tax-to-0%-tax moves. Both TX and TN have no state income tax. Trade: dramatically cheaper housing (31%) and 19% lower COL. Pull: FedEx World Hub at MEM airport, AutoZone HQ, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, plus Memphis's distinctive music heritage (Sun Studio, Stax Records, Beale Street). Hurricane risk disappears (Memphis inland).
Why people move from Houston to Memphis.
- Same 0% income tax — TX/TN both have no state income tax
- Housing drops 31% — $340K Houston SFH becomes $235K Memphis SFH
- Cost of living 19% lower
- Hurricane risk disappears (Memphis inland)
- Property insurance drops dramatically (Houston averages $4-7K/yr; Memphis $1.5-2.5K/yr)
- FedEx World Hub — Memphis is FedEx's home
- AutoZone HQ + ServiceMaster + Smith & Nephew
- Music heritage — birthplace of blues, rock and roll, soul
The money side of TX → TN.
Houston
- Median home$340,000
- Income tax0% (TX)
- Cost index96
Memphis
- Median home$235,000
- Income tax0% (TN)
- Cost index78
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
Memphis's essential restaurants.
The dining list every Memphis resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.
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Charles Vergos' Rendezvous BBQ ribs Downtown
Memphis dry-rub rib institution since 1948
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Central BBQ BBQ Multiple
Hot-smoked pulled pork, ribs, brisket — locals' favorite
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Cozy Corner BBQ North Memphis
BBQ Cornish hen and rib tips — anonymous-looking dive worth seeking out
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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken Fried chicken Downtown (original)
Spicy fried chicken now national; original is here
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Hog & Hominy Italian-Southern East Memphis
Andy Ticer + Michael Hudman — James Beard nominees
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Felicia Suzanne's Southern fine dining Downtown
James Beard semifinalist — Southern with Creole touches
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The Beauty Shop Eclectic American Cooper-Young
Karen Carrier; restaurant in former 1940s beauty salon
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Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Italian East Memphis
House-made pasta; James Beard semifinalist
Best Memphis neighborhoods for Houston transplants.
Mapped to the Houston neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.
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Cooper-Young
If Heights/Montrose was your speed — walkable, restaurants, bungalows
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Downtown / South Main
If Midtown was your vibe — walkable, lofts, music adjacent
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Midtown / Overton Park
If you came from Bellaire family — tree-lined, walkable, family
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East Memphis
If Memorial Villages was your speed — established suburban-feeling, bigger lots
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Germantown (suburb)
If The Woodlands was your model — TOP schools, master-planned, suburban
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Collierville (suburb)
If Cinco Ranch was your goal — top-ranked schools, master-planned
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
What changes about your daily life.
- Same 0% income tax — no change
- Housing 31% cheaper — same income buys substantially more
- Cost of EVERYTHING drops 15-25%
- Hurricane risk + insurance crisis disappears
- Climate similar (both humid subtropical, both hot summers)
- Tornado/severe storm risk Mar-May elevated in Memphis
- Career ceiling drops outside FedEx/AutoZone/St. Jude specifically
- Texas Medical Center career arc disappears
- Tex-Mex disappears (Memphis has decent Mexican but not Tex-Mex)
- BBQ scene flips style — Houston brisket-focused becomes Memphis dry-rub ribs
How to drive there.
What it takes to move 565 miles.
- Full-service (3BR)$2,800-$5,500
- Container/PODS$2,000-$3,800
- DIY (26-ft truck)$1,400-$2,500
- Best monthsMar-May or Sep-Nov (avoid Southern summer humidity)
- Lead time5-7 weeks ahead
USDOT-registered.
Moving from Houston to Memphis: FAQ.
Why move if same 0% tax?
Housing, cost of living, and hurricane-risk avoidance. Memphis is 31% cheaper on housing, 19% cheaper overall, plus hurricane/flood insurance crisis disappears. Net: same income buys dramatically more, with $3-5K/year insurance savings. Career-specific draws: FedEx World Hub for logistics, AutoZone for retail/distribution, St. Jude for healthcare research.
Energy industry — Memphis equivalent?
None. Houston is the energy capital; Memphis isn't. Most Houston-to-Memphis energy professionals pivot careers (FedEx logistics, AutoZone, healthcare) or work remote for Houston-based firms. The career adjustment is real.
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