Chattanooga Farmington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Chattanooga to Farmington is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.5 to 87.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $305/mo.

-$2,759
BLS median salary lower in Farmington
602 to 697
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.3:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 91.5 → 87.7
Rent Delta: -$305/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 4% lower cost of living
  • + $305/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.5 to 87.7 (ratio 0.96), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $305/mo ($3,660/yr) from $1,390 in Chattanooga to $1,085 in Farmington.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Farmington sits #170 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Chattanooga is #334/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,759 lower ($61,856 → $59,097). Labor-market size: 261,210 tracked jobs at origin vs 41,940 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs New Mexico 59 (D, #28/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Chattanooga
Farmington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.5
RPP 87.7
Farmington
Rent (2BR)
$1,390/mo
$1,085/mo
Farmington
Wages
$61,856
$59,097
Chattanooga
Crime
602 per 100K
697 per 100K
Chattanooga
Schools
15.3:1
14:1
Farmington
Childcare
$7,860/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1192 violations
8034 violations
Chattanooga

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 · Tennessee
66 C #17/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
36
Destination state · New Mexico
59 D #28/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
77
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
50

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 Chattanooga to see what you'd need to earn in Farmington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Farmington
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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