Hammond Portland-South Portland

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Hammond to Portland-South Portland is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 84.5 to 101.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $734/mo.

+$19,735
BLS median salary higher in Portland-South Portland
410 to 102
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.8:1 to 11.1:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$3,929
DOL infant care higher / yr in Portland-South Portland

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 84.5 → 101.9
Rent Delta: +$734/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $20K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 17% higher cost of living
  • - $734/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 84.5 to 101.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Portland-South Portland (ratio 1.21). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $734/mo ($8,808/yr) from $1,099 in Hammond to $1,833 in Portland-South Portland.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Portland-South Portland sits #94 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Hammond is #261/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $19,735 higher ($55,386 → $75,121). Labor-market size: 41,250 tracked jobs at origin vs 273,870 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Louisiana 67 (C, #15/51) vs Maine 61 (C, #27/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Hammond
Portland-South Portland
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 84.5
RPP 101.9
Hammond
Rent (2BR)
$1,099/mo
$1,833/mo
Hammond
Wages
$55,386
$75,121
Portland-South Portland
Crime
410 per 100K
102 per 100K
Portland-South Portland
Schools
16.8:1
11.1:1
Portland-South Portland
Childcare
$7,396/yr
$11,325/yr
Hammond
Environment
14536 violations
832 violations
Portland-South Portland

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 · Louisiana
67 C #15/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
79
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
8
Destination state · Maine
61 C #27/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
60
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
100

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 Hammond to see what you'd need to earn in Portland-South Portland to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Portland-South Portland
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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