Bozeman Bangor

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

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

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

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
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 102.5 → 96.5
Rent Delta: -$762/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 6% lower cost of living
  • + $762/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 102.5 to 96.5, so each dollar covers more in Bangor (ratio 0.94). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $762/mo ($9,144/yr) from $2,154 in Bozeman to $1,392 in Bangor.

Bangor leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Bangor sits #23 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Bozeman is #293/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

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

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: 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
Bozeman
Bangor
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 102.5
RPP 96.5
Bangor
Rent (2BR)
$2,154/mo
$1,392/mo
Bangor
Wages
$66,748
$65,577
Bozeman
Crime
426 per 100K
102 per 100K
Bangor
Schools
11.8:1
11.1:1
Bangor
Childcare
$11,466/yr
$11,325/yr
Bangor
Environment
1604 violations
832 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 · Montana
53 D #38/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
82
Destination state · Maine
61 C #27/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
60
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
100

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

Equivalent salary in Bangor
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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