Kingston → Topeka
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Kingston to Topeka is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.7 to 88.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $761/mo.
- -$2,584
- BLS median salary lower in Topeka
- 380 to 456
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 13.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $8,086
- 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
- + 12% lower cost of living
- + $761/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + More affordable childcare
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $3K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 100.7 to 88.8, so each dollar covers more in Topeka (ratio 0.88). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $761/mo ($9,132/yr) from $1,818 in Kingston to $1,057 in Topeka.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Topeka sits #153 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Kingston is #330/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,584 lower ($66,733 → $64,149). Labor-market size: 52,520 tracked jobs at origin vs 108,560 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Kansas scores 63 (C, #21/51) 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
- 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 Kingston 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