Mount Vernon-Anacortes Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Mount Vernon-Anacortes to Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 102.4 to 104.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $137/mo.

+$3,549
BLS median salary higher in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
329 to 425
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 14.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$1,356
DOL infant care lower / yr in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

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: 102.4 → 104.5
Rent Delta: +$137/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $4K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $137/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 102.4 to 104.5 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $137/mo ($1,644/yr) from $1,720 in Mount Vernon-Anacortes to $1,857 in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits #287 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Mount Vernon-Anacortes is #253/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,549 higher ($74,635 → $78,184). Labor-market size: 46,720 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,317,590 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Maryland scores 46 (F, #45/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 102.4
RPP 104.5
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Rent (2BR)
$1,720/mo
$1,857/mo
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Wages
$74,635
$78,184
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Crime
329 per 100K
425 per 100K
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Schools
17.6:1
14.5:1
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Childcare
$15,987/yr
$14,631/yr
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Environment
2879 violations
556 violations
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

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 · Washington
38 F #51/51
Income tax
63
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
18
Destination state · Maryland
46 F #45/51
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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes to see what you'd need to earn in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
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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