Bangor Bozeman

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Bangor to Bozeman is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.5 to 102.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $762/mo.

+$1,171
BLS median salary higher in Bozeman
102 to 426
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.1:1 to 11.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$141
DOL infant care higher / yr in Bozeman

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: 96.5 → 102.5
Rent Delta: +$762/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - 6% higher cost of living
  • - $762/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 96.5 to 102.5, so the same paycheck buys less in Bozeman (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $762/mo ($9,144/yr) from $1,392 in Bangor to $2,154 in Bozeman.

Bangor still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Bozeman sits #293 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Bangor is #23/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,171 higher ($65,577 → $66,748). Labor-market size: 66,130 tracked jobs at origin vs 62,840 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Maine scores 61 (C, #27/51) vs Montana at 53 (D, #38/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Bangor
Bozeman
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.5
RPP 102.5
Bangor
Rent (2BR)
$1,392/mo
$2,154/mo
Bangor
Wages
$65,577
$66,748
Bozeman
Crime
102 per 100K
426 per 100K
Bangor
Schools
11.1:1
11.8:1
Bangor
Childcare
$11,325/yr
$11,466/yr
Bangor
Environment
832 violations
1604 violations
Bangor

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 · Maine
61 C #27/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
60
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
100
Destination state · Montana
53 D #38/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
82

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 Bangor to see what you'd need to earn in Bozeman to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Bozeman
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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