Lafayette-West Lafayette Lewiston-Auburn

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 93.4 → 94.7
Rent Delta: +$344/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $344/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Moving from Lafayette-West Lafayette to Lewiston-Auburn shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 93.4 to 94.7 (100 = US average), so a Lafayette-West Lafayette salary needs to be multiplied by 1.01 to hold the same purchasing power in Lewiston-Auburn. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,242/month in Lafayette-West Lafayette to $1,586/month in Lewiston-Auburn - a higher monthly bill of $344, or $4,128/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $63,985 in Lafayette-West Lafayette versus $62,617 in Lewiston-Auburn - a raw gap of $1,368 lower. The Lewiston-Auburn labor market has 41,990 tracked jobs against 90,750 in Lafayette-West Lafayette, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Lafayette-West Lafayette and Lewiston-Auburn are 308 and 102 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 15.9:1 at origin versus 11.1:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Lafayette-West Lafayette
Lewiston-Auburn
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 93.4
RPP 94.7
Lafayette-West Lafayette
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,242/mo
$1,586/mo
Lafayette-West Lafayette
💼 Wages
$63,985
$62,617
Lafayette-West Lafayette
🔒 Crime
308 per 100K
102 per 100K
Lewiston-Auburn
🎓 Schools
15.9:1
11.1:1
Lewiston-Auburn
👶 Childcare
N/A
$11,325/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
1467 violations
799 violations
Lewiston-Auburn

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette to see what you'd need to earn in Lewiston-Auburn to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Lewiston-Auburn
-

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lewiston-Auburn more expensive than Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lewiston-Auburn has an RPP of 94.7 compared to Lafayette-West Lafayette's 93.4 (100 = national average). Lewiston-Auburn is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Lewiston-Auburn is $1,586/mo vs $1,242/mo in Lafayette-West Lafayette.
What are salaries like in Lewiston-Auburn compared to Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The median salary in Lewiston-Auburn is $62,617 compared to $63,985 in Lafayette-West Lafayette. That's a -$1,368 difference.
Is Lewiston-Auburn safer than Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The violent crime rate near Lewiston-Auburn is 102 per 100K vs 308 per 100K near Lafayette-West Lafayette (state-level data). Lewiston-Auburn has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Lewiston-Auburn to match my Lafayette-West Lafayette salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Lafayette-West Lafayette salary by 1.01. For example, a $75,000 salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette would need to be $76,048 in Lewiston-Auburn. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

Explore PlainRelocate

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)