Iowa City → Jacksonville
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Iowa City to Jacksonville is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.5 to 99.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $38/mo.
- +$1,011
- BLS median salary higher in Jacksonville
- 238 to 210
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 17.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,199
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Jacksonville
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.
Cons of Moving
- - 8% higher cost of living
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.5 to 99.5, so the same paycheck buys less in Jacksonville (ratio 1.09). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,141 → $1,103); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Jacksonville sits #180 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Iowa City is #59/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,011 higher ($66,752 → $67,763). Labor-market size: 83,600 tracked jobs at origin vs 749,800 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Florida at 62 (C, #23/51). 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
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 67
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 12
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 Iowa City to see what you'd need to earn in Jacksonville to maintain the same purchasing power.
Jacksonville metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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