Missoula → Mansfield
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Missoula to Mansfield is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.4 to 88.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $388/mo.
- -$3,966
- BLS median salary lower in Mansfield
- 426 to 293
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 18.2:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $325
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Mansfield
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
- + 8% lower cost of living
- + $388/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Lower violent crime rate
Cons of Moving
- - $4K lower median salary
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 96.4 to 88.9, so each dollar covers more in Mansfield (ratio 0.92). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $388/mo ($4,656/yr) from $1,361 in Missoula to $973 in Mansfield.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Mansfield sits #128 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Missoula is #285/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,966 lower ($63,132 → $59,166). Labor-market size: 60,010 tracked jobs at origin vs 42,920 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Montana 53 (D, #38/51) vs Ohio 59 (D, #29/51). 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
- 62
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 82
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 57
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 10
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 Missoula to see what you'd need to earn in Mansfield 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