Ames → Raleigh-Cary
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Ames to Raleigh-Cary is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.8 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $724/mo.
- +$3,971
- BLS median salary higher in Raleigh-Cary
- 238 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 15.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $1,181
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Raleigh-Cary
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $4K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 9% higher cost of living
- - $724/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 88.8 to 98.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Raleigh-Cary (ratio 1.10). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $724/mo ($8,688/yr) from $1,026 in Ames to $1,750 in Raleigh-Cary.
Ames still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Raleigh-Cary sits #241 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Ames is #15/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,971 higher ($64,722 → $68,693). Labor-market size: 48,070 tracked jobs at origin vs 725,130 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Iowa 70 (B, #8/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Ames to see what you'd need to earn in Raleigh-Cary to maintain the same purchasing power.
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