Jackson → Topeka
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Jackson to Topeka is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.5 to 88.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $203/mo.
- +$5,960
- BLS median salary higher in Topeka
- 602 to 456
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.3:1 to 13.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,077
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Topeka
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
- + $203/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + $6K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - 3% higher cost of living
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 85.5 to 88.8 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $203/mo ($2,436/yr) from $1,260 in Jackson to $1,057 in Topeka.
Topeka leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Topeka sits #153 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Jackson is #175/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,960 higher ($58,189 → $64,149). Labor-market size: 78,140 tracked jobs at origin vs 108,560 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs Kansas 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
- 100
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 36
- 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 Jackson to see what you'd need to earn in Topeka 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