Niles → Lexington-Fayette
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Niles to Lexington-Fayette is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.4 to 92.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $88/mo.
- +$7,192
- BLS median salary higher in Lexington-Fayette
- 431 to 225
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.5:1 to 15.2:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $206
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Lexington-Fayette
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
- + $7K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - $88/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.4 to 92.9 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $88/mo ($1,056/yr) from $1,184 in Niles to $1,272 in Lexington-Fayette.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Lexington-Fayette sits #150 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Niles is #234/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,192 higher ($61,444 → $68,636). Labor-market size: 51,600 tracked jobs at origin vs 274,970 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Kentucky scores 68 (C, #11/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 59
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 16
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 73
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 38
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 Niles to see what you'd need to earn in Lexington-Fayette to maintain the same purchasing power.
Lexington-Fayette 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