Paducah Amarillo

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Paducah to Amarillo is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 86.1 to 91.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $137/mo.

-$2,092
BLS median salary lower in Amarillo
225 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.2:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$328
DOL infant care higher / yr in Amarillo

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
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 86.1 → 91.8
Rent Delta: +$137/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - 6% higher cost of living
  • - $137/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $2K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 86.1 to 91.8, so the same paycheck buys less in Amarillo (ratio 1.07). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $137/mo ($1,644/yr) from $969 in Paducah to $1,106 in Amarillo.

Paducah still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Amarillo sits #246 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Paducah is #38/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,092 lower ($62,516 → $60,424). Labor-market size: 43,110 tracked jobs at origin vs 113,150 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Kentucky 68 (C, #11/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Paducah
Amarillo
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 86.1
RPP 91.8
Paducah
Rent (2BR)
$969/mo
$1,106/mo
Paducah
Wages
$62,516
$60,424
Paducah
Crime
225 per 100K
395 per 100K
Paducah
Schools
15.2:1
14.7:1
Amarillo
Childcare
$7,238/yr
$7,566/yr
Paducah
Environment
1864 violations
35693 violations
Paducah

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 · Kentucky
68 C #11/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
73
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
38
Destination state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44

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 Paducah to see what you'd need to earn in Amarillo to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Amarillo
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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