Medford Boise City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Medford to Boise City is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 101.4 to 98.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $125/mo.

-$183
BLS median salary lower in Boise City
335 to 235
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 17.1:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$5,324
DOL infant care lower / yr in Boise City

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 101.4 → 98.4
Rent Delta: +$125/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 3% lower cost of living
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $125/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 101.4 to 98.4 (ratio 0.97), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $125/mo ($1,500/yr) from $1,530 in Medford to $1,655 in Boise City.

Boise City leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Boise City sits #317 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Medford is #313/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $183 lower ($67,561 → $67,378). Labor-market size: 82,860 tracked jobs at origin vs 377,880 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Idaho scores 58 (D, #30/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Medford
Boise City
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 101.4
RPP 98.4
Boise City
Rent (2BR)
$1,530/mo
$1,655/mo
Medford
Wages
$67,561
$67,378
Medford
Crime
335 per 100K
235 per 100K
Boise City
Schools
17.6:1
17.1:1
Boise City
Childcare
$12,639/yr
$7,315/yr
Boise City
Environment
2683 violations
2331 violations
Boise City

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 · Oregon
41 F #49/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
64
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
14
Destination state · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24

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 Medford to see what you'd need to earn in Boise City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Boise City
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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