Albany Prescott Valley-Prescott

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Albany to Prescott Valley-Prescott is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.7 to 98.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $508/mo.

+$2,994
BLS median salary higher in Prescott Valley-Prescott
300 to 429
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 17:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,710
DOL infant care higher / yr in Prescott Valley-Prescott

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 87.7 → 98.3
Rent Delta: +$508/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $3K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 11% higher cost of living
  • - $508/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.7 to 98.3, so the same paycheck buys less in Prescott Valley-Prescott (ratio 1.12). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $508/mo ($6,096/yr) from $1,129 in Albany to $1,637 in Prescott Valley-Prescott.

Albany still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Prescott Valley-Prescott sits #345 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Albany is #43/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,994 higher ($58,830 → $61,824). Labor-market size: 49,030 tracked jobs at origin vs 65,740 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Georgia scores 68 (C, #10/51) vs Arizona at 53 (D, #37/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Albany
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 87.7
RPP 98.3
Albany
Rent (2BR)
$1,129/mo
$1,637/mo
Albany
Wages
$58,830
$61,824
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Crime
300 per 100K
429 per 100K
Albany
Schools
14.4:1
17:1
Albany
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$11,301/yr
Albany
Environment
2771 violations
5259 violations
Albany

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Georgia
68 C #10/51
Income tax
88
Property tax
74
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
48
Destination state · Arizona
53 D #37/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
22

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Albany to see what you'd need to earn in Prescott Valley-Prescott to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Prescott Valley-Prescott
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026