Grand Forks → Burlington
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Grand Forks to Burlington is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 86.7 to 93.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $259/mo.
- -$6,503
- BLS median salary lower in Burlington
- 257 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 15.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $1,438
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Burlington
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.
Cons of Moving
- - 7% higher cost of living
- - $259/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - $7K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 86.7 to 93.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Burlington (ratio 1.08). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $259/mo ($3,108/yr) from $1,089 in Grand Forks to $1,348 in Burlington.
Grand Forks still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Burlington sits #193 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Grand Forks is #1/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,503 lower ($66,228 → $59,725). Labor-market size: 46,030 tracked jobs at origin vs 61,270 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: North Dakota 69 (C, #9/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). 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
- 75
- Property tax
- 59
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 94
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Grand Forks to see what you'd need to earn in Burlington to maintain the same purchasing power.
Burlington 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