Kankakee Rocky Mount

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Kankakee to Rocky Mount is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.4 to 88.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $183/mo.

-$3,486
BLS median salary lower in Rocky Mount
277 to 365
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14:1 to 15.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$2,770
DOL infant care lower / yr in Rocky Mount

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 96.4 → 88.0
Rent Delta: -$183/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $183/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 96.4 to 88.0, so each dollar covers more in Rocky Mount (ratio 0.91). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $183/mo ($2,196/yr) from $1,326 in Kankakee to $1,143 in Rocky Mount.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Rocky Mount sits #22 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Kankakee is #292/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,486 lower ($61,541 → $58,055). Labor-market size: 36,680 tracked jobs at origin vs 47,780 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) vs Illinois at 58 (D, #31/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Kankakee
Rocky Mount
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.4
RPP 88.0
Rocky Mount
Rent (2BR)
$1,326/mo
$1,143/mo
Rocky Mount
Wages
$61,541
$58,055
Kankakee
Crime
277 per 100K
365 per 100K
Kankakee
Schools
14:1
15.8:1
Kankakee
Childcare
$12,257/yr
$9,487/yr
Rocky Mount
Environment
3029 violations
3120 violations
Kankakee

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 · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46
Destination state · North Carolina
68 C #13/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
66
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
30

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 Rocky Mount to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Rocky Mount
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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