Gadsden Provo-Orem-Lehi

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Gadsden to Provo-Orem-Lehi is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.7 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $533/mo.

+$14,444
BLS median salary higher in Provo-Orem-Lehi
376 to 229
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 21.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,932
DOL infant care higher / yr in Provo-Orem-Lehi

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: 85.7 → 98.2
Rent Delta: +$533/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $14K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

  • - 13% higher cost of living
  • - $533/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.7 to 98.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Provo-Orem-Lehi (ratio 1.15). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $533/mo ($6,396/yr) from $927 in Gadsden to $1,460 in Provo-Orem-Lehi.

Gadsden still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Provo-Orem-Lehi sits #339 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Gadsden is #154/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $14,444 higher ($49,412 → $63,856). Labor-market size: 27,240 tracked jobs at origin vs 293,200 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Utah at 53 (D, #40/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Gadsden
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 85.7
RPP 98.2
Gadsden
Rent (2BR)
$927/mo
$1,460/mo
Gadsden
Wages
$49,412
$63,856
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Crime
376 per 100K
229 per 100K
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Schools
17.7:1
21.4:1
Gadsden
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$11,828/yr
Gadsden
Environment
538 violations
1172 violations
Gadsden

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 · Utah
53 D #40/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
83
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
0

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 Gadsden to see what you'd need to earn in Provo-Orem-Lehi to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Provo-Orem-Lehi
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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