Hattiesburg → Wichita
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Hattiesburg to Wichita is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.6 to 88.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $52/mo.
- +$9,108
- BLS median salary higher in Wichita
- 143 to 456
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.3:1 to 13.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $715
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Wichita
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
- + $9K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - $52/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 87.6 to 88.9 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $52/mo ($624/yr) from $1,047 in Hattiesburg to $1,099 in Wichita.
Hattiesburg still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Wichita sits #158 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Hattiesburg is #19/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $9,108 higher ($51,744 → $60,852). Labor-market size: 54,020 tracked jobs at origin vs 300,890 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Mississippi scores 89 (A, #1/51) vs Kansas at 63 (C, #21/51). 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
- 92
- Property tax
- 75
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 76
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 61
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 54
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 Hattiesburg to see what you'd need to earn in Wichita 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