Knoxville Cleveland

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Knoxville to Cleveland is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.6 to 93.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $434/mo.

+$4,306
BLS median salary higher in Cleveland
602 to 293
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.3:1 to 18.2:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$3,931
DOL infant care higher / yr in Cleveland

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 92.6 → 93.9
Rent Delta: -$434/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $434/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $4K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.6 to 93.9 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $434/mo ($5,208/yr) from $1,471 in Knoxville to $1,037 in Cleveland.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Cleveland sits #166 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Knoxville is #341/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,306 higher ($63,333 → $67,639). Labor-market size: 415,720 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,014,330 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs Ohio 59 (D, #29/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Knoxville
Cleveland
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.6
RPP 93.9
Knoxville
Rent (2BR)
$1,471/mo
$1,037/mo
Cleveland
Wages
$63,333
$67,639
Cleveland
Crime
602 per 100K
293 per 100K
Cleveland
Schools
15.3:1
18.2:1
Knoxville
Childcare
$7,860/yr
$11,791/yr
Knoxville
Environment
1192 violations
1500 violations
Knoxville

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 · Tennessee
66 C #17/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
36
Destination state · Ohio
59 D #29/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
57
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
10

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 Knoxville to see what you'd need to earn in Cleveland to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Cleveland
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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