Oshkosh-Neenah Cape Girardeau

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Oshkosh-Neenah to Cape Girardeau is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.9 to 86.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $157/mo.

-$12,795
BLS median salary lower in Cape Girardeau
280 to 463
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 12.8:1
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: 92.9 → 86.1
Rent Delta: -$157/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 7% lower cost of living
  • + $157/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $13K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 92.9 to 86.1, so each dollar covers more in Cape Girardeau (ratio 0.93). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $157/mo ($1,884/yr) from $1,149 in Oshkosh-Neenah to $992 in Cape Girardeau.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Cape Girardeau sits #91 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Oshkosh-Neenah is #62/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $12,795 lower ($68,194 → $55,399). Labor-market size: 86,380 tracked jobs at origin vs 37,860 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Missouri scores 68 (C, #12/51) vs Wisconsin at 57 (D, #32/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Oshkosh-Neenah
Cape Girardeau
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.9
RPP 86.1
Cape Girardeau
Rent (2BR)
$1,149/mo
$992/mo
Cape Girardeau
Wages
$68,194
$55,399
Oshkosh-Neenah
Crime
280 per 100K
463 per 100K
Oshkosh-Neenah
Schools
14.4:1
12.8:1
Cape Girardeau
Childcare
$11,256/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
2317 violations
6737 violations
Oshkosh-Neenah

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 · Wisconsin
57 D #32/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
56
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
40
Destination state · Missouri
68 C #12/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
68
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
80

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 Oshkosh-Neenah to see what you'd need to earn in Cape Girardeau to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Cape Girardeau
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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