Lexington-Fayette North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Lexington-Fayette to North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.9 to 102.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $686/mo.

-$5,400
BLS median salary lower in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
225 to 210
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.2:1 to 17.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$3,267
DOL infant care higher / yr in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota

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
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 92.9 → 102.4
Rent Delta: +$686/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - 10% higher cost of living
  • - $686/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $5K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.9 to 102.4, so the same paycheck buys less in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota (ratio 1.10). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $686/mo ($8,232/yr) from $1,272 in Lexington-Fayette to $1,958 in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota.

Lexington-Fayette still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota sits #335 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Lexington-Fayette is #150/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,400 lower ($68,636 → $63,236). Labor-market size: 274,970 tracked jobs at origin vs 326,930 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Kentucky 68 (C, #11/51) vs Florida 62 (C, #23/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Lexington-Fayette
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.9
RPP 102.4
Lexington-Fayette
Rent (2BR)
$1,272/mo
$1,958/mo
Lexington-Fayette
Wages
$68,636
$63,236
Lexington-Fayette
Crime
225 per 100K
210 per 100K
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
Schools
15.2:1
17.8:1
Lexington-Fayette
Childcare
$7,238/yr
$10,505/yr
Lexington-Fayette
Environment
1864 violations
2736 violations
Lexington-Fayette

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 · Kentucky
68 C #11/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
73
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
38
Destination state · Florida
62 C #23/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
67
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
12

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 Lexington-Fayette to see what you'd need to earn in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
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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