New Orleans-Metairie Bloomington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from New Orleans-Metairie to Bloomington is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.6 to 93.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $29/mo.

+$1,449
BLS median salary higher in Bloomington
410 to 277
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.8:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,861
DOL infant care higher / yr in Bloomington

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: 92.6 → 93.5
Rent Delta: -$29/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.6 to 93.5 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,331 → $1,302); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

Bloomington leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Bloomington sits #143 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 $1,449 higher ($64,688 → $66,137). Labor-market size: 428,400 tracked jobs at origin vs 70,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Louisiana scores 67 (C, #15/51) vs Illinois at 58 (D, #31/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
New Orleans-Metairie
Bloomington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.6
RPP 93.5
New Orleans-Metairie
Rent (2BR)
$1,331/mo
$1,302/mo
Bloomington
Wages
$64,688
$66,137
Bloomington
Crime
410 per 100K
277 per 100K
Bloomington
Schools
16.8:1
14:1
Bloomington
Childcare
$7,396/yr
$12,257/yr
New Orleans-Metairie
Environment
14536 violations
3029 violations
Bloomington

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 · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46

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 Bloomington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Bloomington
-

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