Grants Pass Columbia

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Grants Pass to Columbia is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.8 to 89.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $203/mo.

-$3,316
BLS median salary lower in Columbia
335 to 463
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 12.8:1
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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 97.8 → 89.4
Rent Delta: -$203/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $203/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 97.8 to 89.4, so each dollar covers more in Columbia (ratio 0.91). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $203/mo ($2,436/yr) from $1,363 in Grants Pass to $1,160 in Columbia.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Columbia sits #89 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Grants Pass is #198/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,316 lower ($65,224 → $61,908). Labor-market size: 25,220 tracked jobs at origin vs 99,550 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Missouri scores 68 (C, #12/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Grants Pass
Columbia
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 97.8
RPP 89.4
Columbia
Rent (2BR)
$1,363/mo
$1,160/mo
Columbia
Wages
$65,224
$61,908
Grants Pass
Crime
335 per 100K
463 per 100K
Grants Pass
Schools
17.6:1
12.8:1
Columbia
Childcare
$12,639/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
2683 violations
6737 violations
Grants Pass

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 · Oregon
41 F #49/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
64
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
14
Destination state · Missouri
68 C #12/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
80

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 Grants Pass to see what you'd need to earn in Columbia to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Columbia
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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