Great Falls → Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Great Falls to Albany-Schenectady-Troy is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.8 to 99.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $418/mo.
- +$13,246
- BLS median salary higher in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
- 426 to 380
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,403
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
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
- + $13K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - $418/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 96.8 to 99.6 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $418/mo ($5,016/yr) from $1,284 in Great Falls to $1,702 in Albany-Schenectady-Troy.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Albany-Schenectady-Troy sits #220 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Great Falls is #315/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $13,246 higher ($60,566 → $73,812). Labor-market size: 31,100 tracked jobs at origin vs 439,210 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Montana 53 (D, #38/51) vs New York 46 (F, #46/51). 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
- 62
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 82
- Income tax
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
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 Great Falls to see what you'd need to earn in Albany-Schenectady-Troy to maintain the same purchasing power.
Albany-Schenectady-Troy 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