Dalton Amarillo

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Dalton to Amarillo is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.8 to 91.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $97/mo.

-$1,238
BLS median salary lower in Amarillo
300 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$975
DOL infant care higher / yr in Amarillo

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
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 89.8 → 91.8
Rent Delta: +$97/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - $97/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 89.8 to 91.8 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $97/mo ($1,164/yr) from $1,009 in Dalton to $1,106 in Amarillo.

Dalton still leads on 7 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Amarillo sits #246 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Dalton is #36/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,238 lower ($61,662 → $60,424). Labor-market size: 59,390 tracked jobs at origin vs 113,150 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Georgia 68 (C, #10/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Dalton
Amarillo
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.8
RPP 91.8
Dalton
Rent (2BR)
$1,009/mo
$1,106/mo
Dalton
Wages
$61,662
$60,424
Dalton
Crime
300 per 100K
395 per 100K
Dalton
Schools
14.4:1
14.7:1
Dalton
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$7,566/yr
Dalton
Environment
2771 violations
35693 violations
Dalton

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 · Georgia
68 C #10/51
Income tax
88
Property tax
74
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
48
Destination state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44

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 Dalton to see what you'd need to earn in Amarillo to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Amarillo
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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