New Orleans-Metairie → Auburn-Opelika
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from New Orleans-Metairie to Auburn-Opelika is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.6 to 87.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $150/mo.
- -$7,020
- BLS median salary lower in Auburn-Opelika
- 410 to 376
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.8:1 to 17.7:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $500
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Auburn-Opelika
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
- + 5% lower cost of living
- + $150/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $7K lower median salary
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 92.6 to 87.9, so each dollar covers more in Auburn-Opelika (ratio 0.95). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $150/mo ($1,800/yr) from $1,331 in New Orleans-Metairie to $1,181 in Auburn-Opelika.
Auburn-Opelika leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Auburn-Opelika sits #142 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). New Orleans-Metairie is #297/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,020 lower ($64,688 → $57,668). Labor-market size: 428,400 tracked jobs at origin vs 62,880 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: 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.
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
- 78
- Property tax
- 79
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 8
- Income tax
- 90
- Property tax
- 92
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 20
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 New Orleans-Metairie to see what you'd need to earn in Auburn-Opelika to maintain the same purchasing power.
Auburn-Opelika 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