Jonesboro Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Jonesboro to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.9 to 113.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,561/mo.

+$26,864
BLS median salary higher in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
580 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13.6:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

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
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 85.9 → 113.6
Rent Delta: +$1,561/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $27K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 28% higher cost of living
  • - $1561/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.9 to 113.6, so the same paycheck buys less in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (ratio 1.32). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,561/mo ($18,732/yr) from $1,040 in Jonesboro to $2,601 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim sits #383 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Jonesboro is #74/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $26,864 higher ($55,412 → $82,276). Labor-market size: 55,350 tracked jobs at origin vs 6,167,970 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Arkansas scores 74 (B, #6/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Jonesboro
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 85.9
RPP 113.6
Jonesboro
Rent (2BR)
$1,040/mo
$2,601/mo
Jonesboro
Wages
$55,412
$82,276
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Crime
580 per 100K
477 per 100K
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Schools
13.6:1
21.5:1
Jonesboro
Childcare
N/A
$17,920/yr
Tie
Environment
5952 violations
17705 violations
Jonesboro

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 · Arkansas
74 B #6/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
78
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
68
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

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 Jonesboro to see what you'd need to earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
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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