Great Falls Hanford-Corcoran

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Great Falls to Hanford-Corcoran is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.8 to 101.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $185/mo.

+$8,143
BLS median salary higher in Hanford-Corcoran
426 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.8:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$6,454
DOL infant care higher / yr in Hanford-Corcoran

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: 96.8 → 101.6
Rent Delta: +$185/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 5% higher cost of living
  • - $185/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 96.8 to 101.6 (ratio 1.05), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $185/mo ($2,220/yr) from $1,284 in Great Falls to $1,469 in Hanford-Corcoran.

Great Falls still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Hanford-Corcoran sits #372 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Great Falls is #315/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,143 higher ($60,566 → $68,709). Labor-market size: 31,100 tracked jobs at origin vs 40,390 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Montana scores 53 (D, #38/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Great Falls
Hanford-Corcoran
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.8
RPP 101.6
Great Falls
Rent (2BR)
$1,284/mo
$1,469/mo
Great Falls
Wages
$60,566
$68,709
Hanford-Corcoran
Crime
426 per 100K
477 per 100K
Great Falls
Schools
11.8:1
21.5:1
Great Falls
Childcare
$11,466/yr
$17,920/yr
Great Falls
Environment
1604 violations
17705 violations
Great Falls

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 · Montana
53 D #38/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
82
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

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 Hanford-Corcoran to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Hanford-Corcoran
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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