Ithaca Florence

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Ithaca to Florence is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.3 to 86.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $655/mo.

-$14,392
BLS median salary lower in Florence
380 to 439
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.8:1 to 14.3:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$6,137
DOL infant care lower / yr in Florence

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: 103.3 → 86.8
Rent Delta: -$655/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 17% lower cost of living
  • + $655/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $14K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 103.3 to 86.8, so each dollar covers more in Florence (ratio 0.84). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $655/mo ($7,860/yr) from $1,753 in Ithaca to $1,098 in Florence.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Florence sits #6 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Ithaca is #240/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $14,392 lower ($75,348 → $60,956). Labor-market size: 39,380 tracked jobs at origin vs 82,440 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Carolina scores 80 (A, #3/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Ithaca
Florence
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 103.3
RPP 86.8
Florence
Rent (2BR)
$1,753/mo
$1,098/mo
Florence
Wages
$75,348
$60,956
Ithaca
Crime
380 per 100K
439 per 100K
Ithaca
Schools
11.8:1
14.3:1
Ithaca
Childcare
$13,869/yr
$7,732/yr
Florence
Environment
5536 violations
720 violations
Florence

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 · New York
46 F #46/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
48
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
96
Destination state · South Carolina
80 A #3/51
Income tax
85
Property tax
87
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
56

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 Ithaca to see what you'd need to earn in Florence to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Florence
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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