Lafayette-West Lafayette Jacksonville

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lafayette-West Lafayette to Jacksonville is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.4 to 92.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $69/mo.

-$6,555
BLS median salary lower in Jacksonville
308 to 365
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.9:1 to 15.8:1
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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 93.4 → 92.1
Rent Delta: -$69/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $69/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $7K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 93.4 to 92.1 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $69/mo ($828/yr) from $1,242 in Lafayette-West Lafayette to $1,173 in Jacksonville.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Jacksonville sits #160 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lafayette-West Lafayette is #225/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,555 lower ($63,985 → $57,430). Labor-market size: 90,750 tracked jobs at origin vs 46,520 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Indiana 62 (C, #24/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lafayette-West Lafayette
Jacksonville
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 93.4
RPP 92.1
Jacksonville
Rent (2BR)
$1,242/mo
$1,173/mo
Jacksonville
Wages
$63,985
$57,430
Lafayette-West Lafayette
Crime
308 per 100K
365 per 100K
Lafayette-West Lafayette
Schools
15.9:1
15.8:1
Jacksonville
Childcare
N/A
$9,487/yr
Tie
Environment
1514 violations
3120 violations
Lafayette-West Lafayette

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 · Indiana
62 C #24/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
69
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
32
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 Lafayette-West Lafayette to see what you'd need to earn in Jacksonville to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Jacksonville
-

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