Montgomery Hammond

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Montgomery to Hammond is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.7 to 84.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $83/mo.

-$3,002
BLS median salary lower in Hammond
376 to 410
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 16.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$500
DOL infant care higher / yr in Hammond

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
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 89.7 → 84.5
Rent Delta: +$83/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 5% lower cost of living

Cons of Moving

  • - $83/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 89.7 to 84.5, so each dollar covers more in Hammond (ratio 0.94). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $83/mo ($996/yr) from $1,016 in Montgomery to $1,099 in Hammond.

Montgomery still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Hammond sits #261 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Montgomery is #101/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,002 lower ($58,388 → $55,386). Labor-market size: 157,200 tracked jobs at origin vs 41,250 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Louisiana at 67 (C, #15/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Montgomery
Hammond
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.7
RPP 84.5
Hammond
Rent (2BR)
$1,016/mo
$1,099/mo
Montgomery
Wages
$58,388
$55,386
Montgomery
Crime
376 per 100K
410 per 100K
Montgomery
Schools
17.7:1
16.8:1
Hammond
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$7,396/yr
Montgomery
Environment
538 violations
14536 violations
Montgomery

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 · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20
Destination state · Louisiana
67 C #15/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
79
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
8

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 Hammond to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Hammond
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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