How Relocation Data Works
Seven federal databases, one comprehensive picture of where to live.
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), workplace conditions (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:
- Cost of Living (BEA RPP): How much do goods and services cost compared to the national average? Regional Price Parities range from ~80 (20% cheaper) to ~130+ (30%+ more expensive). Housing drives most of the variation.
- Housing (HUD FMR): What does rent actually cost? Fair Market Rents show the 40th percentile of gross rents by bedroom count for every county and metro. Combined with BEA data, this reveals true housing affordability.
- Safety (FBI UCR): How much crime is there? Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 people enable direct comparison across metros of any size.
- Wages (BLS OEWS): What will you earn? Median wages for 800+ occupations across every metro. Combined with cost of living, this shows real purchasing power — not just nominal salary.
- Schools (NCES): What's the education landscape? School counts, enrollment, and student-teacher ratios for every metro.
- Workplace Safety (DOL): How safe are employers? OSHA inspection and violation data reveals which metros have the most workplace hazards.
- Air Quality (EPA AQS): How clean is the air? Annual AQI data shows how many good, moderate, and unhealthy air days each metro experiences.
Explore any metro page to see all seven dimensions, or use the metro finder to search by your criteria.
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.
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 WHD (workplace safety), 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.