Lewiston-Auburn Wildwood-The Villages

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 94.7 → 85.4
Rent Delta: -$258/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 9% lower cost of living
  • + $258/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Lewiston-Auburn to Wildwood-The Villages shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 94.7 to 85.4 (100 = US average), so a Lewiston-Auburn salary needs to be multiplied by 0.90 to hold the same purchasing power in Wildwood-The Villages. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,586/month in Lewiston-Auburn to $1,328/month in Wildwood-The Villages - a lower monthly bill of $258, or $3,096/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 $62,617 in Lewiston-Auburn versus $63,776 in Wildwood-The Villages - a raw gap of $1,159 higher. The Wildwood-The Villages labor market has 34,870 tracked jobs against 41,990 in Lewiston-Auburn, 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 Lewiston-Auburn and Wildwood-The Villages are 102 and 210 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 11.1:1 at origin versus 17.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $11,325/year in Lewiston-Auburn versus $10,505/year in Wildwood-The Villages. Our composite verdict - Less Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Lewiston-Auburn
Wildwood-The Villages
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 94.7
RPP 85.4
Wildwood-The Villages
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,586/mo
$1,328/mo
Wildwood-The Villages
💼 Wages
$62,617
$63,776
Wildwood-The Villages
🔒 Crime
102 per 100K
210 per 100K
Lewiston-Auburn
🎓 Schools
11.1:1
17.8:1
Lewiston-Auburn
👶 Childcare
$11,325/yr
$10,505/yr
Wildwood-The Villages
🌿 Environment
799 violations
2676 violations
Lewiston-Auburn

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Wildwood-The Villages
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wildwood-The Villages more expensive than Lewiston-Auburn?
Wildwood-The Villages has an RPP of 85.4 compared to Lewiston-Auburn's 94.7 (100 = national average). Lewiston-Auburn is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Wildwood-The Villages is $1,328/mo vs $1,586/mo in Lewiston-Auburn.
What are salaries like in Wildwood-The Villages compared to Lewiston-Auburn?
The median salary in Wildwood-The Villages is $63,776 compared to $62,617 in Lewiston-Auburn. That's a +$1,159 difference.
Is Wildwood-The Villages safer than Lewiston-Auburn?
The violent crime rate near Wildwood-The Villages is 210 per 100K vs 102 per 100K near Lewiston-Auburn (state-level data). Lewiston-Auburn has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Wildwood-The Villages to match my Lewiston-Auburn salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Lewiston-Auburn salary by 0.90. For example, a $75,000 salary in Lewiston-Auburn would need to be $67,628 in Wildwood-The Villages. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Less Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Less Favorable" means the origin edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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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)