Relocation guide
How Relocation Data Works
Seven federal databases, one comprehensive picture of where to live.
- 387
- US metros covered
- 7
- Federal data sources
- 800+
- Wage occupations (BLS)
Key finding
PlainRelocate combines 7 federal datasets into one comparable profile per US metro, so you can weigh cost, housing, safety, wages, schools, childcare, and air quality side by side.
- 7
- federal data sources, from BEA to EPA
- 387
- US metropolitan areas covered
- 800+
- BLS wage occupations per metro
- 1
- comparable view, no single federal set covers it all
Each source has its own update cycle and lag; PlainRelocate labels the reference year on every figure.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, HUD, FBI, BLS, NCES, DOL, and EPA, PlainRelocate combines 7 federal databases into one comparable profile per US metro. As of June 2026, this covers 387 US metros across cost, housing, safety, wages, schools, childcare, and air quality, each dimension shown separately since no single federal dataset captures relocation on its own.
Key Takeaway
PlainRelocate combines seven federal data sources to create a 360-degree view of every US metro area: what things cost (BEA), what housing costs (HUD), how safe it is (FBI), what you'll earn (BLS), how schools compare (NCES), childcare costs (DOL), and air quality (EPA). No other free tool brings all seven together.
The Seven Data Dimensions
Each data source answers a specific question about a potential destination:
Regional Price Parities
What goods and services cost vs. the national average (100).
Fair Market Rents
40th-percentile gross rent by bedroom count, per county and metro.
Uniform Crime Reporting
Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 people.
Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
Median wages across 800+ occupations for most metros; some smaller metro areas lack BLS wage-area coverage and show as unavailable.
Common Core of Data
School counts, enrollment, and student-teacher ratios.
National Database of Childcare Prices
Center- and family-based costs by child age.
Air Quality System
Annual good, moderate, and unhealthy air-day counts.
Explore any metro page to see all seven dimensions, or use the metro finder to search by your criteria.
How the LiveAbility Score Is Calculated
Folded together with the LiveAbility weights, the federal sources above resolve into one comparable score per metro. Here are today's highest-scoring metros, the output of the pipeline this guide describes.
Top metros by LiveAbility Score
The combined output of all federal dimensions, 0–100
- Grand Forks
Grand Forks, ND-MN
74.4 /100
- Minot
Minot, ND
73.6 /100
- Charleston
Charleston, WV
73.2 /100
- Fargo
Fargo, ND-MN
71.5 /100
- Parkersburg
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
70.4 /100
- Florence
Florence, SC
70 /100
- Greenville
Greenville, NC
69.2 /100
- Wheeling
Wheeling, WV-OH
68.8 /100
What this shows Each bar is a weighted composite of the eight LiveAbility dimensions, the same federal data described above, resolved into one comparable number.
How to Read a Metro Profile
Each metro on PlainRelocate shows a dashboard with all seven dimensions. Here's how to interpret them:
- Green indicators: Better than national average, a strength of this metro.
- Red indicators: Worse than national average, a potential concern.
- Percentile ranks: Where this metro falls relative to all 387 metros. 90th percentile = top 10%. 10th percentile = bottom 10%.
No metro is perfect on all dimensions. The goal is finding one where the strengths align with your priorities and the weaknesses are in areas you care less about.
No single federal dataset captures everything relevant to relocation, combining seven gives a view single-source tools can't match.
Comparing Two Metros
PlainRelocate's comparison pages are the core tool. For any pair of metros, you see:
- Side-by-side numbers for all seven dimensions
- Salary adjustment, what your current salary is worth in the new location after cost-of-living adjustment
- Which dimensions improve and which get worse
- A net assessment of whether the move improves your overall situation
Use the relocation calculator to enter your specific salary and see the purchasing power difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What seven databases does PlainRelocate use?
BEA Regional Price Parities (cost of living), HUD Fair Market Rents (housing costs), FBI UCR (crime rates), BLS OEWS (wages by occupation), NCES Common Core of Data (schools), DOL National Database of Childcare Prices (childcare), and EPA AQS (air quality). Together, these cover the major dimensions of livability.
Why seven sources instead of one?
No single federal dataset captures everything relevant to relocation. Cost of living without crime data is incomplete. Wages without cost adjustment are misleading. School data without housing costs ignores affordability. By combining seven sources, PlainRelocate provides a multi-dimensional view that single-source tools can't match.
How are the seven dimensions combined?
PlainRelocate shows each dimension separately so you can weight them according to your priorities. A retiree weights healthcare and cost of living heavily, while a young family weights schools and safety. Composite scores are available but the individual dimensions are more useful for personalized decision-making.
How current is the data?
Each source has its own update cycle. BEA RPPs are annual (1-year lag). FBI crime data lags 1-2 years. BLS wages are updated annually. HUD rents are updated yearly. PlainRelocate uses the most recent available data from each source, clearly labeled with the reference year.
Can I compare specific pairs of cities?
Yes. PlainRelocate's comparison pages show two metros side by side across all seven dimensions. This is the core use case, evaluating "should I move from Metro A to Metro B?" with data on how each dimension changes. Browse the most popular comparisons or create your own.
Does PlainRelocate include international destinations?
No. PlainRelocate covers US metropolitan statistical areas only. The seven federal data sources are US-specific. For international relocation, you'd need to use different data sources (World Bank, OECD, etc.).
Sources
- BEA, HUD, FBI, BLS, NCES, DOL, EPA, via PlainRelocate aggregation
This content is for informational purposes only. Relocation decisions involve many personal factors beyond data.
What to do next
Put all seven dimensions to work on your own move.
- See every dimension at once on any metro profile. See metro rankings
- Filter metros by the dimensions you care about most. Open the City Finder
- Compare two metros side-by-side across all seven sources. Compare metros
Each federal source has its own update cycle and lag; PlainRelocate labels the reference year on every figure.