Kingston → Las Cruces
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Kingston to Las Cruces is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.7 to 90.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $776/mo.
- -$3,941
- BLS median salary lower in Las Cruces
- 380 to 697
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 14:1
- 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.
Pros of Moving
- + 10% lower cost of living
- + $776/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
Cons of Moving
- - $4K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 100.7 to 90.2, so each dollar covers more in Las Cruces (ratio 0.90). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $776/mo ($9,312/yr) from $1,818 in Kingston to $1,042 in Las Cruces.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Las Cruces sits #191 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Kingston is #330/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,941 lower ($66,733 → $62,792). Labor-market size: 52,520 tracked jobs at origin vs 72,370 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: New Mexico scores 59 (D, #28/51) 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
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 77
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 50
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 Kingston to see what you'd need to earn in Las Cruces 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