Detroit-Warren-Dearborn → Raleigh-Cary
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to Raleigh-Cary is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.3 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $339/mo.
- -$2,610
- BLS median salary lower in Raleigh-Cary
- 431 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.7:1 to 16.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,043
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Raleigh-Cary
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.
Cons of Moving
- - $339/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - $3K lower median salary
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 100.3 to 98.2 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $339/mo ($4,068/yr) from $1,411 in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to $1,750 in Raleigh-Cary.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Raleigh-Cary sits #241 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn is #346/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,610 lower ($71,303 → $68,693). Labor-market size: 1,883,860 tracked jobs at origin vs 725,130 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 59
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 16
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to see what you'd need to earn in Raleigh-Cary to maintain the same purchasing power.
Raleigh-Cary 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