Brunswick-St. Simons Albany-Schenectady-Troy

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 87.7 → 99.6
Rent Delta: +$409/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $17K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 12% higher cost of living
  • - $409/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Brunswick-St. Simons to Albany-Schenectady-Troy shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 87.7 to 99.6 (100 = US average), so a Brunswick-St. Simons salary needs to be multiplied by 1.14 to hold the same purchasing power in Albany-Schenectady-Troy. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,293/month in Brunswick-St. Simons to $1,702/month in Albany-Schenectady-Troy - a higher monthly bill of $409, or $4,908/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $56,638 in Brunswick-St. Simons versus $73,812 in Albany-Schenectady-Troy - a raw gap of $17,174 higher. The Albany-Schenectady-Troy labor market has 439,210 tracked jobs against 39,810 in Brunswick-St. Simons, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Brunswick-St. Simons and Albany-Schenectady-Troy are 300 and 380 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.4:1 at origin versus 11.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $6,591/year in Brunswick-St. Simons versus $13,869/year in Albany-Schenectady-Troy. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Brunswick-St. Simons
Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 87.7
RPP 99.6
Brunswick-St. Simons
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,293/mo
$1,702/mo
Brunswick-St. Simons
💼 Wages
$56,638
$73,812
Albany-Schenectady-Troy
🔒 Crime
300 per 100K
380 per 100K
Brunswick-St. Simons
🎓 Schools
14.4:1
11.8:1
Albany-Schenectady-Troy
👶 Childcare
$6,591/yr
$13,869/yr
Brunswick-St. Simons
🌿 Environment
2663 violations
5270 violations
Brunswick-St. Simons

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Brunswick-St. Simons to see what you'd need to earn in Albany-Schenectady-Troy to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Albany-Schenectady-Troy more expensive than Brunswick-St. Simons?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has an RPP of 99.6 compared to Brunswick-St. Simons's 87.7 (100 = national average). Albany-Schenectady-Troy is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Albany-Schenectady-Troy is $1,702/mo vs $1,293/mo in Brunswick-St. Simons.
What are salaries like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy compared to Brunswick-St. Simons?
The median salary in Albany-Schenectady-Troy is $73,812 compared to $56,638 in Brunswick-St. Simons. That's a +$17,174 difference.
Is Albany-Schenectady-Troy safer than Brunswick-St. Simons?
The violent crime rate near Albany-Schenectady-Troy is 380 per 100K vs 300 per 100K near Brunswick-St. Simons (state-level data). Brunswick-St. Simons has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Albany-Schenectady-Troy to match my Brunswick-St. Simons salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Brunswick-St. Simons salary by 1.14. For example, a $75,000 salary in Brunswick-St. Simons would need to be $85,140 in Albany-Schenectady-Troy. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)