Helena → Idaho Falls
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Helena to Idaho Falls is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 95.7 to 94.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $443/mo.
- -$2,970
- BLS median salary lower in Idaho Falls
- 426 to 235
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 17.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,151
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Idaho Falls
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
- + $443/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $3K lower median salary
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 95.7 to 94.4 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $443/mo ($5,316/yr) from $1,748 in Helena to $1,305 in Idaho Falls.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Idaho Falls sits #178 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Helena is #307/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,970 lower ($66,812 → $63,842). Labor-market size: 38,620 tracked jobs at origin vs 72,210 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Montana 53 (D, #38/51) vs Idaho 58 (D, #30/51). 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
- 70
- Property tax
- 76
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 24
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 Helena to see what you'd need to earn in Idaho Falls 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