Owensboro → Harrisonburg
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Owensboro to Harrisonburg is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.6 to 94.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $212/mo.
- +$2,766
- BLS median salary higher in Harrisonburg
- 225 to 223
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.2:1 to 13.9:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,169
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Harrisonburg
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
- + $3K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - 6% higher cost of living
- - $212/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 88.6 to 94.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Harrisonburg (ratio 1.07). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $212/mo ($2,544/yr) from $1,110 in Owensboro to $1,322 in Harrisonburg.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Harrisonburg sits #186 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Owensboro is #106/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,766 higher ($59,581 → $62,347). Labor-market size: 41,400 tracked jobs at origin vs 56,170 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Kentucky 68 (C, #11/51) vs Virginia 64 (C, #20/51). 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
- 73
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 38
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 71
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 62
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 Owensboro to see what you'd need to earn in Harrisonburg to maintain the same purchasing power.
Harrisonburg 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