Des Moines-West Des Moines → Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Des Moines-West Des Moines to Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.7 to 103.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $642/mo.
- +$7,820
- BLS median salary higher in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
- 238 to 329
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $7,681
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
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
- + $8K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 12% higher cost of living
- - $642/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.7 to 103.7, so the same paycheck buys less in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $642/mo ($7,704/yr) from $1,318 in Des Moines-West Des Moines to $1,960 in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater.
Des Moines-West Des Moines still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits #258 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Des Moines-West Des Moines is #145/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,820 higher ($69,930 → $77,750). Labor-market size: 394,120 tracked jobs at origin vs 123,100 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). 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
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- Income tax
- 63
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 18
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 Des Moines-West Des Moines to see what you'd need to earn in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater to maintain the same purchasing power.
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 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