Charleston → Topeka
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Charleston to Topeka is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.7 to 88.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $188/mo.
- +$2,288
- BLS median salary higher in Topeka
- 242 to 456
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.1:1 to 13.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,191
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Topeka
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
- + $2K higher median salary
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $188/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 88.7 to 88.8 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $188/mo ($2,256/yr) from $869 in Charleston to $1,057 in Topeka.
Charleston still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Topeka sits #153 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Charleston is #3/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,288 higher ($61,861 → $64,149). Labor-market size: 94,760 tracked jobs at origin vs 108,560 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: West Virginia scores 82 (A, #2/51) vs Kansas at 63 (C, #21/51). 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
- 80
- Property tax
- 86
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 64
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 61
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 54
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 Charleston to see what you'd need to earn in Topeka to maintain the same purchasing power.
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