Cedar Rapids → Amherst Town-Northampton
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Cedar Rapids to Amherst Town-Northampton is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.0 to 100.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,048/mo.
- +$13,428
- BLS median salary higher in Amherst Town-Northampton
- 238 to 309
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 12.3:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $12,265
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Amherst Town-Northampton
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $13K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - 11% higher cost of living
- - $1048/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 89.0 to 100.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Amherst Town-Northampton (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,048/mo ($12,576/yr) from $956 in Cedar Rapids to $2,004 in Amherst Town-Northampton.
Cedar Rapids still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Amherst Town-Northampton sits #162 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Cedar Rapids is #31/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $13,428 higher ($63,268 → $76,696). Labor-market size: 133,750 tracked jobs at origin vs 59,110 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Massachusetts at 45 (F, #48/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- Income tax
- 55
- Property tax
- 65
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 84
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 Cedar Rapids to see what you'd need to earn in Amherst Town-Northampton to maintain the same purchasing power.
Amherst Town-Northampton metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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