Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Murfreesboro, TN
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 It's a dead heat — 11 categories each
Murfreesboro
Tennessee
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.4 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$70,451
Violent Crime Index
111⚠ High ✓ Safer
Population
153,487 ✓ Larger
Visalia
California
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$75,658 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
115⚠ High
Population
141,466
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Murfreesboro, TN
Pros
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.3 pts lower (4.3%)
More college-educated — 40.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Visalia
Cons
Median income trails Visalia by $5,207/yr
Visalia, CA
Pros
Commutes run 6 min shorter each way
Households earn $5,207 more per year on average
Milder winters — January highs near 55°F vs 48°F
Cons
Higher unemployment (5.6% vs 4.3%)
Cost of living runs 4% higher than Murfreesboro
Key Differences at a Glance
Murfreesboro
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 97.4 vs 101.3 (100 = US avg)
Murfreesboro
Violent Crime
4% lower
420.0 vs 435.3 per 100k
Murfreesboro
Unemployment
1.3 pp lower
4.3% vs 5.6% unemployment
Visalia
Median Income
$5,207
$75,658 vs $70,451/yr
Visalia
Median Home Value
$11k less
$316,600 vs $327,400
Visalia
Summer Heat
4.6°F warmer
July avg high 93.8°F vs 89.2°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Murfreesboro, TN | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 97.4 ✓ Cheaper | 101.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $327,400⚠ High | $316,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,272 ✓ Lower | $1,289 |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $70,451 | $75,658 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.3 min | 21.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 13.0% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 105⚠ High ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 111⚠ High ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 96 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A- (114) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | — | 21.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.5% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 93.9% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Rutherford County | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 47.9°F | 55.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 89.2°F | 93.8°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.1" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.2" | 0.1" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 153,487 ✓ Larger | 141,466 |
| Median Age | 31.5 | 33.0 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.1% | 60.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 22.7% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 10.4% | 13.2% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Murfreesboro's cost of living index is 97.4 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
Murfreesboro is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 11 categories each. Murfreesboro wins 11 and Visalia wins 11. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Murfreesboro to Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($327,400 vs $316,600 median home), income ($70,451 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Murfreesboro, TN and Visalia, CA are about 1,829 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.