Boise City Longview-Kelso

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Boise City to Longview-Kelso is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.4 to 97.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $204/mo.

+$5,307
BLS median salary higher in Longview-Kelso
235 to 329
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.1:1 to 17.6:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$8,672
DOL infant care higher / yr in Longview-Kelso

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: 98.4 → 97.5
Rent Delta: -$204/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $204/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $5K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 98.4 to 97.5 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $204/mo ($2,448/yr) from $1,655 in Boise City to $1,451 in Longview-Kelso.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Longview-Kelso sits #118 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Boise City is #317/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,307 higher ($67,378 → $72,685). Labor-market size: 377,880 tracked jobs at origin vs 34,650 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Idaho scores 58 (D, #30/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Boise City
Longview-Kelso
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.4
RPP 97.5
Longview-Kelso
Rent (2BR)
$1,655/mo
$1,451/mo
Longview-Kelso
Wages
$67,378
$72,685
Longview-Kelso
Crime
235 per 100K
329 per 100K
Boise City
Schools
17.1:1
17.6:1
Boise City
Childcare
$7,315/yr
$15,987/yr
Boise City
Environment
2331 violations
2879 violations
Boise City

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 · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24
Destination state · Washington
38 F #51/51
Income tax
63
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
18

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 Boise City to see what you'd need to earn in Longview-Kelso to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Longview-Kelso
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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