Fayetteville → Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Fayetteville to Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.0 to 103.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $709/mo.
- +$14,913
- BLS median salary higher in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
- 365 to 329
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.8:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $6,500
- 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
- + $15K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 12% higher cost of living
- - $709/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.0 to 103.7, so the same paycheck buys less in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $709/mo ($8,508/yr) from $1,251 in Fayetteville to $1,960 in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits #258 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Fayetteville is #123/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $14,913 higher ($62,837 → $77,750). Labor-market size: 121,490 tracked jobs at origin vs 123,100 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) 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
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
- 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 Fayetteville 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