Lewiston Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lewiston to Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.2 to 95.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $114/mo.

+$5,702
BLS median salary higher in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
235 to 431
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.1:1 to 17.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$129
DOL infant care higher / yr in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood

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: 91.2 → 95.5
Rent Delta: +$114/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 4% higher cost of living
  • - $114/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.2 to 95.5 (ratio 1.05), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $114/mo ($1,368/yr) from $1,220 in Lewiston to $1,334 in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood.

Lewiston still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood sits #325 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Lewiston is #135/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,702 higher ($59,266 → $64,968). Labor-market size: 22,910 tracked jobs at origin vs 584,240 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Idaho scores 58 (D, #30/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lewiston
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.2
RPP 95.5
Lewiston
Rent (2BR)
$1,220/mo
$1,334/mo
Lewiston
Wages
$59,266
$64,968
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Crime
235 per 100K
431 per 100K
Lewiston
Schools
17.1:1
17.5:1
Lewiston
Childcare
$7,315/yr
$7,444/yr
Lewiston
Environment
2331 violations
1120 violations
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood

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 · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24
Destination state · Michigan
49 F #42/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
59
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
16

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 Lewiston to see what you'd need to earn in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
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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