Montgomery → Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Montgomery to Hagerstown-Martinsburg is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.7 to 94.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $245/mo.
- +$5,836
- BLS median salary higher in Hagerstown-Martinsburg
- 376 to 425
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.7:1 to 14.5:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $7,735
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Hagerstown-Martinsburg
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
- + $6K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - 4% higher cost of living
- - $245/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 89.7 to 94.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Hagerstown-Martinsburg (ratio 1.05). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $245/mo ($2,940/yr) from $1,016 in Montgomery to $1,261 in Hagerstown-Martinsburg.
Montgomery still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Hagerstown-Martinsburg sits #159 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Montgomery is #101/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,836 higher ($58,388 → $64,224). Labor-market size: 157,200 tracked jobs at origin vs 100,850 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Maryland at 46 (F, #45/51). 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
- 90
- Property tax
- 92
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 20
- Income tax
- 75
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 52
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 Montgomery to see what you'd need to earn in Hagerstown-Martinsburg to maintain the same purchasing power.
Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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