PlainRelocate

About PlainRelocate

PlainRelocate is a free, ad-supported tool that helps Americans make smarter relocation decisions. Instead of relying on opinions, rankings, or sponsored content, we present official federal data from 7 government agencies in a clear, comparable format.

Our Data Sources

  • Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) — Regional Price Parities for cost of living
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — Fair Market Rents
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — Uniform Crime Reporting data
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) — Public school data
  • Department of Labor (DOL) — Childcare cost data
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Environmental compliance data

How It Works

Each metro area is scored across all 7 dimensions using percentile rankings within the dataset. Scores are weighted (cost 20%, wages 20%, rent 15%, crime 15%, schools 10%, childcare 10%, environment 10%) to produce a composite "life score" from 0-100.

When you compare two metros, we show a side-by-side breakdown of every dimension, highlight pros and cons of relocating, adjust your salary for cost of living differences, and provide a data-driven verdict.

Our Approach

We believe in presenting data without editorial bias. We don't rank cities as "best" or "worst" — we show the numbers and let you decide what matters most to your situation. The City Finder lets you adjust priority weights so the rankings reflect your personal values.

Limitations

Government data has inherent limitations. Crime and school data are available at the state level only for some metros. Rent data uses HUD Fair Market Rents, which may differ from current market rates. Cost of living data uses Regional Price Parities, which are published with a lag. This tool provides a starting point for research — always verify details before making a major life decision.

Part of Our Network

PlainRelocate is part of a network of plain-language government data portals including PlainCompare, PlainCost, PlainRent, WageDex, and PlainCrime.

Contact

Questions or feedback? Email [email protected].