Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Farmington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater to Farmington is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.7 to 87.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $875/mo.

-$18,653
BLS median salary lower in Farmington
329 to 697
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 103.7 → 87.7
Rent Delta: -$875/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 16% lower cost of living
  • + $875/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $19K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 103.7 to 87.7, so each dollar covers more in Farmington (ratio 0.85). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $875/mo ($10,500/yr) from $1,960 in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater to $1,085 in Farmington.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Farmington sits #170 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater is #258/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $18,653 lower ($77,750 → $59,097). Labor-market size: 123,100 tracked jobs at origin vs 41,940 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: New Mexico scores 59 (D, #28/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Farmington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 103.7
RPP 87.7
Farmington
Rent (2BR)
$1,960/mo
$1,085/mo
Farmington
Wages
$77,750
$59,097
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Crime
329 per 100K
697 per 100K
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Schools
17.6:1
14:1
Farmington
Childcare
$15,987/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
2879 violations
8034 violations
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater

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 · New Mexico
59 D #28/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
77
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
50

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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater to see what you'd need to earn in Farmington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Farmington
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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