Canton-Massillon Tuscaloosa

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Canton-Massillon to Tuscaloosa is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.4 to 87.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $54/mo.

-$2,052
BLS median salary lower in Tuscaloosa
293 to 376
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
18.2:1 to 17.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,895
DOL infant care lower / yr in Tuscaloosa

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
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 89.4 → 87.7
Rent Delta: +$54/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $54/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $2K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 89.4 to 87.7 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $54/mo ($648/yr) from $1,086 in Canton-Massillon to $1,140 in Tuscaloosa.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Tuscaloosa sits #57 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Canton-Massillon is #207/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,052 lower ($60,078 → $58,026). Labor-market size: 155,600 tracked jobs at origin vs 96,660 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Ohio at 59 (D, #29/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Canton-Massillon
Tuscaloosa
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.4
RPP 87.7
Tuscaloosa
Rent (2BR)
$1,086/mo
$1,140/mo
Canton-Massillon
Wages
$60,078
$58,026
Canton-Massillon
Crime
293 per 100K
376 per 100K
Canton-Massillon
Schools
18.2:1
17.7:1
Tuscaloosa
Childcare
$11,791/yr
$6,896/yr
Tuscaloosa
Environment
1500 violations
538 violations
Tuscaloosa

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 · Ohio
59 D #29/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
57
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
10
Destination state · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20

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 Canton-Massillon to see what you'd need to earn in Tuscaloosa to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Tuscaloosa
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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