Memphis → Billings
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Memphis to Billings is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.2 to 93.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $143/mo.
- -$880
- BLS median salary lower in Billings
- 602 to 426
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.3:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,606
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Billings
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.
Pros of Moving
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - $143/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.2 to 93.5 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $143/mo ($1,716/yr) from $1,274 in Memphis to $1,417 in Billings.
Memphis still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Billings sits #188 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Memphis is #300/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $880 lower ($65,102 → $64,222). Labor-market size: 597,090 tracked jobs at origin vs 86,460 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Tennessee scores 66 (C, #17/51) vs Montana at 53 (D, #38/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 36
- Income tax
- 62
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 82
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 Memphis to see what you'd need to earn in Billings to maintain the same purchasing power.
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