Bloomington Niles

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Bloomington to Niles is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.5 to 92.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $118/mo.

-$4,693
BLS median salary lower in Niles
277 to 431
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14:1 to 17.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,813
DOL infant care lower / yr in Niles

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 93.5 → 92.4
Rent Delta: -$118/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $118/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $5K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 93.5 to 92.4 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $118/mo ($1,416/yr) from $1,302 in Bloomington to $1,184 in Niles.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Niles sits #234 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Bloomington is #143/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,693 lower ($66,137 → $61,444). Labor-market size: 70,320 tracked jobs at origin vs 51,600 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Illinois scores 58 (D, #31/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Bloomington
Niles
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 93.5
RPP 92.4
Niles
Rent (2BR)
$1,302/mo
$1,184/mo
Niles
Wages
$66,137
$61,444
Bloomington
Crime
277 per 100K
431 per 100K
Bloomington
Schools
14:1
17.5:1
Bloomington
Childcare
$12,257/yr
$7,444/yr
Niles
Environment
3029 violations
1120 violations
Niles

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 · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46
Destination state · Michigan
49 F #42/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
59
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
16

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 Bloomington to see what you'd need to earn in Niles to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Niles
-

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