Harrisonburg → Ann Arbor
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Harrisonburg to Ann Arbor is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 94.9 to 100.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $334/mo.
- +$10,811
- BLS median salary higher in Ann Arbor
- 223 to 431
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.9:1 to 17.5:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,963
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Ann Arbor
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
- + $11K higher median salary
- + More affordable childcare
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 6% higher cost of living
- - $334/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 94.9 to 100.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Ann Arbor (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $334/mo ($4,008/yr) from $1,322 in Harrisonburg to $1,656 in Ann Arbor.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Ann Arbor sits #316 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Harrisonburg is #186/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $10,811 higher ($62,347 → $73,158). Labor-market size: 56,170 tracked jobs at origin vs 207,930 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Virginia scores 64 (C, #20/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). 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
- 78
- Property tax
- 71
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 62
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 59
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 16
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 Harrisonburg to see what you'd need to earn in Ann Arbor to maintain the same purchasing power.
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