Milwaukee-Waukesha Lubbock

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Milwaukee-Waukesha to Lubbock is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.9 to 91.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $365/mo.

-$14,071
BLS median salary lower in Lubbock
280 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$3,690
DOL infant care lower / yr in Lubbock

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 96.9 → 91.3
Rent Delta: -$365/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 6% lower cost of living
  • + $365/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $14K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 96.9 to 91.3, so each dollar covers more in Lubbock (ratio 0.94). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $365/mo ($4,380/yr) from $1,338 in Milwaukee-Waukesha to $973 in Lubbock.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Lubbock sits #105 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Milwaukee-Waukesha is #208/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $14,071 lower ($71,499 → $57,428). Labor-market size: 800,340 tracked jobs at origin vs 159,410 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Wisconsin at 57 (D, #32/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Milwaukee-Waukesha
Lubbock
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.9
RPP 91.3
Lubbock
Rent (2BR)
$1,338/mo
$973/mo
Lubbock
Wages
$71,499
$57,428
Milwaukee-Waukesha
Crime
280 per 100K
395 per 100K
Milwaukee-Waukesha
Schools
14.4:1
14.7:1
Milwaukee-Waukesha
Childcare
$11,256/yr
$7,566/yr
Lubbock
Environment
2317 violations
35693 violations
Milwaukee-Waukesha

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 · Wisconsin
57 D #32/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
56
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
40
Destination state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44

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 Milwaukee-Waukesha to see what you'd need to earn in Lubbock to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Lubbock
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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