Monroe Kokomo

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Monroe to Kokomo is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 83.6 to 89.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $289/mo.

+$4,942
BLS median salary higher in Kokomo
410 to 308
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.8:1 to 15.9:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

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: 83.6 → 89.6
Rent Delta: +$289/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $5K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 6% higher cost of living
  • - $289/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 83.6 to 89.6, so the same paycheck buys less in Kokomo (ratio 1.07). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $289/mo ($3,468/yr) from $834 in Monroe to $1,123 in Kokomo.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Kokomo sits #112 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Monroe is #119/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,942 higher ($54,218 → $59,160). Labor-market size: 79,300 tracked jobs at origin vs 26,100 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Louisiana 67 (C, #15/51) vs Indiana 62 (C, #24/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Monroe
Kokomo
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 83.6
RPP 89.6
Monroe
Rent (2BR)
$834/mo
$1,123/mo
Monroe
Wages
$54,218
$59,160
Kokomo
Crime
410 per 100K
308 per 100K
Kokomo
Schools
16.8:1
15.9:1
Kokomo
Childcare
$7,396/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
14536 violations
1514 violations
Kokomo

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 · Louisiana
67 C #15/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
79
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
8
Destination state · Indiana
62 C #24/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
69
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
32

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 Monroe to see what you'd need to earn in Kokomo to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Kokomo
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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