Medford → Wichita Falls
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Pros of Moving
- + 12% lower cost of living
- + $394/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $11K lower median salary
- - More environmental violations
Moving from Medford to Wichita Falls shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 101.4 to 89.5 (100 = US average), so a Medford salary needs to be multiplied by 0.88 to hold the same purchasing power in Wichita Falls. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,530/month in Medford to $1,136/month in Wichita Falls - a lower monthly bill of $394, or $4,728/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.
Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $67,561 in Medford versus $56,840 in Wichita Falls - a raw gap of $10,721 lower. The Wichita Falls labor market has 49,490 tracked jobs against 82,860 in Medford, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.
Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Medford and Wichita Falls are 335 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.6:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $12,639/year in Medford versus $7,566/year in Wichita Falls. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Medford to see what you'd need to earn in Wichita Falls to maintain the same purchasing power.
Relocation Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wichita Falls more expensive than Medford?
What are salaries like in Wichita Falls compared to Medford?
Is Wichita Falls safer than Medford?
How much would I need to earn in Wichita Falls to match my Medford salary?
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
Explore PlainRelocate
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Data Sources
- Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
- Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
- Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.