Longview-Kelso Bloomington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Longview-Kelso to Bloomington is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.5 to 93.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $149/mo.

-$6,548
BLS median salary lower in Bloomington
329 to 277
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$3,730
DOL infant care lower / yr in Bloomington

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
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 97.5 → 93.5
Rent Delta: -$149/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 4% lower cost of living
  • + $149/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $7K lower median salary

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 97.5 to 93.5 (ratio 0.96), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $149/mo ($1,788/yr) from $1,451 in Longview-Kelso to $1,302 in Bloomington.

Bloomington leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Bloomington sits #143 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Longview-Kelso is #118/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,548 lower ($72,685 → $66,137). Labor-market size: 34,650 tracked jobs at origin vs 70,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Illinois scores 58 (D, #31/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Longview-Kelso
Bloomington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 97.5
RPP 93.5
Bloomington
Rent (2BR)
$1,451/mo
$1,302/mo
Bloomington
Wages
$72,685
$66,137
Longview-Kelso
Crime
329 per 100K
277 per 100K
Bloomington
Schools
17.6:1
14:1
Bloomington
Childcare
$15,987/yr
$12,257/yr
Bloomington
Environment
2879 violations
3029 violations
Longview-Kelso

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 · Washington
38 F #51/51
Income tax
63
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
18
Destination state · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46

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 Longview-Kelso to see what you'd need to earn in Bloomington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Bloomington
-

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