New York-Newark-Jersey City Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 112.6 → 113.6
Rent Delta: +$277/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - $277/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $5K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from New York-Newark-Jersey City to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 112.6 to 113.6 (100 = US average), so a New York-Newark-Jersey City salary needs to be multiplied by 1.01 to hold the same purchasing power in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,324/month in New York-Newark-Jersey City to $2,601/month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim - a higher monthly bill of $277, or $3,324/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $87,148 in New York-Newark-Jersey City versus $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim - a raw gap of $4,872 lower. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim labor market has 6,167,970 tracked jobs against 9,414,820 in New York-Newark-Jersey City, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near New York-Newark-Jersey City and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim are 380 and 477 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 11.8:1 at origin versus 21.5:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $13,869/year in New York-Newark-Jersey City versus $17,920/year in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 112.6
RPP 113.6
New York-Newark-Jersey City
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,324/mo
$2,601/mo
New York-Newark-Jersey City
💼 Wages
$87,148
$82,276
New York-Newark-Jersey City
🔒 Crime
380 per 100K
477 per 100K
New York-Newark-Jersey City
🎓 Schools
11.8:1
21.5:1
New York-Newark-Jersey City
👶 Childcare
$13,869/yr
$17,920/yr
New York-Newark-Jersey City
🌿 Environment
5270 violations
17550 violations
New York-Newark-Jersey City

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City to see what you'd need to earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim more expensive than New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has an RPP of 113.6 compared to New York-Newark-Jersey City's 112.6 (100 = national average). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is $2,601/mo vs $2,324/mo in New York-Newark-Jersey City.
What are salaries like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compared to New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The median salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is $82,276 compared to $87,148 in New York-Newark-Jersey City. That's a -$4,872 difference.
Is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim safer than New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The violent crime rate near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is 477 per 100K vs 380 per 100K near New York-Newark-Jersey City (state-level data). New York-Newark-Jersey City has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to match my New York-Newark-Jersey City salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your New York-Newark-Jersey City salary by 1.01. For example, a $75,000 salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City would need to be $75,668 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)