Grand Forks Burlington-South Burlington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Grand Forks to Burlington-South Burlington is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 86.7 to 100.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,051/mo.

+$12,157
BLS median salary higher in Burlington-South Burlington
257 to 225
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.8:1 to 11.9:1
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
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 86.7 → 100.9
Rent Delta: +$1,051/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $12K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 14% higher cost of living
  • - $1051/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 86.7 to 100.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Burlington-South Burlington (ratio 1.16). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,051/mo ($12,612/yr) from $1,089 in Grand Forks to $2,140 in Burlington-South Burlington.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Burlington-South Burlington sits #114 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Grand Forks is #1/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $12,157 higher ($66,228 → $78,385). Labor-market size: 46,030 tracked jobs at origin vs 108,730 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: North Dakota scores 69 (C, #9/51) vs Vermont at 54 (D, #36/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Grand Forks
Burlington-South Burlington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 86.7
RPP 100.9
Grand Forks
Rent (2BR)
$1,089/mo
$2,140/mo
Grand Forks
Wages
$66,228
$78,385
Burlington-South Burlington
Crime
257 per 100K
225 per 100K
Burlington-South Burlington
Schools
11.8:1
11.9:1
Grand Forks
Childcare
$10,925/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
185 violations
1111 violations
Grand Forks

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 · North Dakota
69 C #9/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
59
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
94
Destination state · Vermont
54 D #36/51
Income tax
65
Property tax
52
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
78

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-South Burlington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Burlington-South Burlington
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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