Bellingham → Farmington
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Bellingham to Farmington is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.3 to 87.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $709/mo.
- -$15,626
- BLS median salary lower in Farmington
- 329 to 697
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.6:1 to 14:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
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
- + 16% lower cost of living
- + $709/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - $16K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 103.3 to 87.7, so each dollar covers more in Farmington (ratio 0.85). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $709/mo ($8,508/yr) from $1,794 in Bellingham to $1,085 in Farmington.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Farmington sits #170 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Bellingham is #235/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $15,626 lower ($74,723 → $59,097). Labor-market size: 82,720 tracked jobs at origin vs 41,940 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: New Mexico scores 59 (D, #28/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). 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
- 63
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 18
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 77
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 50
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 Bellingham to see what you'd need to earn in Farmington to maintain the same purchasing power.
Farmington metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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