Kankakee → Rochester
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Kankakee to Rochester is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.4 to 97.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $247/mo.
- +$11,244
- BLS median salary higher in Rochester
- 277 to 380
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $1,612
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Rochester
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
- + $11K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - $247/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 96.4 to 97.0 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $247/mo ($2,964/yr) from $1,326 in Kankakee to $1,573 in Rochester.
Kankakee still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Rochester sits #223 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Kankakee is #292/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,244 higher ($61,541 → $72,785). Labor-market size: 36,680 tracked jobs at origin vs 478,930 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Illinois scores 58 (D, #31/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). 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
- 95
- Property tax
- 46
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 46
- Income tax
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
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 Kankakee to see what you'd need to earn in Rochester 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