Mankato Kingston

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Mankato to Kingston is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.0 to 100.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $647/mo.

-$3,403
BLS median salary lower in Kingston
259 to 380
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.8:1 to 11.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$2,147
DOL infant care higher / yr in Kingston

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: 91.0 → 100.7
Rent Delta: +$647/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 10% higher cost of living
  • - $647/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.0 to 100.7, so the same paycheck buys less in Kingston (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $647/mo ($7,764/yr) from $1,171 in Mankato to $1,818 in Kingston.

Mankato still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Kingston sits #330 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Mankato is #93/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,403 lower ($70,136 → $66,733). Labor-market size: 48,900 tracked jobs at origin vs 52,520 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Minnesota 49 (F, #43/51) vs New York 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Mankato
Kingston
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.0
RPP 100.7
Mankato
Rent (2BR)
$1,171/mo
$1,818/mo
Mankato
Wages
$70,136
$66,733
Mankato
Crime
259 per 100K
380 per 100K
Mankato
Schools
15.8:1
11.8:1
Kingston
Childcare
$11,722/yr
$13,869/yr
Mankato
Environment
1033 violations
5536 violations
Mankato

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 · Minnesota
49 F #43/51
Income tax
60
Property tax
62
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
34
Destination state · New York
46 F #46/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
48
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
96

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 Mankato to see what you'd need to earn in Kingston to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Kingston
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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