Florence → Birmingham
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Florence to Birmingham is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 86.8 to 91.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $168/mo.
- +$2,281
- BLS median salary higher in Birmingham
- 439 to 376
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.3:1 to 17.7:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $836
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Birmingham
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
- + $2K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 5% higher cost of living
- - $168/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 86.8 to 91.6, so the same paycheck buys less in Birmingham (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $168/mo ($2,016/yr) from $1,098 in Florence to $1,266 in Birmingham.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Birmingham sits #217 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Florence is #6/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,281 higher ($60,956 → $63,237). Labor-market size: 82,440 tracked jobs at origin vs 497,490 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: South Carolina 80 (A, #3/51) vs Alabama 75 (B, #5/51). 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
- 87
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 56
- Income tax
- 90
- Property tax
- 92
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 20
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 Florence to see what you'd need to earn in Birmingham to maintain the same purchasing power.
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