Lawton → Mankato
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lawton to Mankato is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.9 to 91.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $170/mo.
- +$13,194
- BLS median salary higher in Mankato
- 428 to 259
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.1:1 to 15.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $1,056
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Mankato
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
- + $13K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 5% higher cost of living
- - $170/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.9 to 91.0, so the same paycheck buys less in Mankato (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $170/mo ($2,040/yr) from $1,001 in Lawton to $1,171 in Mankato.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Mankato sits #93 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Lawton is #161/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $13,194 higher ($56,942 → $70,136). Labor-market size: 36,440 tracked jobs at origin vs 48,900 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Oklahoma scores 68 (C, #14/51) vs Minnesota at 49 (F, #43/51). 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
- 75
- Property tax
- 70
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 28
- Income tax
- 60
- Property tax
- 62
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 34
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 Mankato 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