Lawton Flagstaff

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lawton to Flagstaff is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.9 to 100.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $920/mo.

+$9,064
BLS median salary higher in Flagstaff
428 to 429
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.1:1 to 17:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$635
DOL infant care higher / yr in Flagstaff

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 85.9 → 100.3
Rent Delta: +$920/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $9K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 14% higher cost of living
  • - $920/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.9 to 100.3, so the same paycheck buys less in Flagstaff (ratio 1.17). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $920/mo ($11,040/yr) from $1,001 in Lawton to $1,921 in Flagstaff.

Lawton still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Flagstaff sits #360 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Lawton is #161/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $9,064 higher ($56,942 → $66,006). Labor-market size: 36,440 tracked jobs at origin vs 58,590 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Oklahoma scores 68 (C, #14/51) vs Arizona at 53 (D, #37/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lawton
Flagstaff
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 85.9
RPP 100.3
Lawton
Rent (2BR)
$1,001/mo
$1,921/mo
Lawton
Wages
$56,942
$66,006
Flagstaff
Crime
428 per 100K
429 per 100K
Lawton
Schools
16.1:1
17:1
Lawton
Childcare
$10,666/yr
$11,301/yr
Lawton
Environment
29177 violations
5259 violations
Flagstaff

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 · Oklahoma
68 C #14/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
70
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
28
Destination state · Arizona
53 D #37/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
22

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 Lawton to see what you'd need to earn in Flagstaff to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Flagstaff
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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