College Station-Bryan Morgantown

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 91.0 → 93.3
Rent Delta: -$87/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $87/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from College Station-Bryan to Morgantown shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 91.0 to 93.3 (100 = US average), so a College Station-Bryan salary needs to be multiplied by 1.03 to hold the same purchasing power in Morgantown. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,186/month in College Station-Bryan to $1,099/month in Morgantown - a lower monthly bill of $87, or $1,044/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 $62,191 in College Station-Bryan versus $60,408 in Morgantown - a raw gap of $1,783 lower. The Morgantown labor market has 57,550 tracked jobs against 118,500 in College Station-Bryan, 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 College Station-Bryan and Morgantown are 395 and 242 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 13.1:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in College Station-Bryan versus $8,974/year in Morgantown. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
College Station-Bryan
Morgantown
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 91.0
RPP 93.3
College Station-Bryan
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,186/mo
$1,099/mo
Morgantown
💼 Wages
$62,191
$60,408
College Station-Bryan
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
242 per 100K
Morgantown
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
13.1:1
Morgantown
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$8,974/yr
College Station-Bryan
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
2371 violations
Morgantown

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in College Station-Bryan to see what you'd need to earn in Morgantown to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Morgantown
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Morgantown more expensive than College Station-Bryan?
Morgantown has an RPP of 93.3 compared to College Station-Bryan's 91.0 (100 = national average). Morgantown is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Morgantown is $1,099/mo vs $1,186/mo in College Station-Bryan.
What are salaries like in Morgantown compared to College Station-Bryan?
The median salary in Morgantown is $60,408 compared to $62,191 in College Station-Bryan. That's a -$1,783 difference.
Is Morgantown safer than College Station-Bryan?
The violent crime rate near Morgantown is 242 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near College Station-Bryan (state-level data). Morgantown has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Morgantown to match my College Station-Bryan salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your College Station-Bryan salary by 1.03. For example, a $75,000 salary in College Station-Bryan would need to be $76,956 in Morgantown. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination 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)