Columbia → Jacksonville
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Columbia to Jacksonville is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.4 to 99.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $57/mo.
- +$5,855
- BLS median salary higher in Jacksonville
- 463 to 210
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 12.8:1 to 17.8:1
- 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.
Pros of Moving
- + $57/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + $6K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 10% higher cost of living
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 89.4 to 99.5, so the same paycheck buys less in Jacksonville (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $57/mo ($684/yr) from $1,160 in Columbia to $1,103 in Jacksonville.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Jacksonville sits #180 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Columbia is #89/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,855 higher ($61,908 → $67,763). Labor-market size: 99,550 tracked jobs at origin vs 749,800 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Missouri 68 (C, #12/51) vs Florida 62 (C, #23/51). 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
- 82
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 80
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 67
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 12
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 Columbia to see what you'd need to earn in Jacksonville to maintain the same purchasing power.
Jacksonville 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