Farmington Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Farmington to Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.7 to 103.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $875/mo.

+$18,653
BLS median salary higher in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
697 to 329
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14:1 to 17.6:1
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.

Verdict
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 87.7 → 103.7
Rent Delta: +$875/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $19K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 16% higher cost of living
  • - $875/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.7 to 103.7, so the same paycheck buys less in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater (ratio 1.18). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $875/mo ($10,500/yr) from $1,085 in Farmington to $1,960 in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits #258 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Farmington is #170/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $18,653 higher ($59,097 → $77,750). Labor-market size: 41,940 tracked jobs at origin vs 123,100 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: New Mexico scores 59 (D, #28/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Farmington
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 87.7
RPP 103.7
Farmington
Rent (2BR)
$1,085/mo
$1,960/mo
Farmington
Wages
$59,097
$77,750
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Crime
697 per 100K
329 per 100K
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Schools
14:1
17.6:1
Farmington
Childcare
N/A
$15,987/yr
Tie
Environment
8034 violations
2879 violations
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater

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 · New Mexico
59 D #28/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
77
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
50
Destination state · Washington
38 F #51/51
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 Farmington to see what you'd need to earn in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
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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