Dothan Stockton-Lodi

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Dothan to Stockton-Lodi is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 83.8 to 105.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $792/mo.

+$18,881
BLS median salary higher in Stockton-Lodi
376 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$11,024
DOL infant care higher / yr in Stockton-Lodi

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: 83.8 → 105.1
Rent Delta: +$792/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $19K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 21% higher cost of living
  • - $792/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 83.8 to 105.1, so the same paycheck buys less in Stockton-Lodi (ratio 1.25). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $792/mo ($9,504/yr) from $950 in Dothan to $1,742 in Stockton-Lodi.

Dothan still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Stockton-Lodi sits #379 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Dothan is #67/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $18,881 higher ($52,967 → $71,848). Labor-market size: 54,630 tracked jobs at origin vs 263,900 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Dothan
Stockton-Lodi
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 83.8
RPP 105.1
Dothan
Rent (2BR)
$950/mo
$1,742/mo
Dothan
Wages
$52,967
$71,848
Stockton-Lodi
Crime
376 per 100K
477 per 100K
Dothan
Schools
17.7:1
21.5:1
Dothan
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$17,920/yr
Dothan
Environment
538 violations
17705 violations
Dothan

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 · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

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 Dothan to see what you'd need to earn in Stockton-Lodi to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Stockton-Lodi
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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