Parkersburg-Vienna Provo-Orem-Lehi

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Parkersburg-Vienna to Provo-Orem-Lehi is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.1 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $532/mo.

+$7,815
BLS median salary higher in Provo-Orem-Lehi
242 to 229
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13.1:1 to 21.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$2,854
DOL infant care higher / yr in Provo-Orem-Lehi

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
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 87.1 → 98.2
Rent Delta: +$532/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 11% higher cost of living
  • - $532/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.1 to 98.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Provo-Orem-Lehi (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $532/mo ($6,384/yr) from $928 in Parkersburg-Vienna to $1,460 in Provo-Orem-Lehi.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Provo-Orem-Lehi sits #339 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Parkersburg-Vienna is #5/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,815 higher ($56,041 → $63,856). Labor-market size: 30,150 tracked jobs at origin vs 293,200 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: West Virginia scores 82 (A, #2/51) vs Utah at 53 (D, #40/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Parkersburg-Vienna
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 87.1
RPP 98.2
Parkersburg-Vienna
Rent (2BR)
$928/mo
$1,460/mo
Parkersburg-Vienna
Wages
$56,041
$63,856
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Crime
242 per 100K
229 per 100K
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Schools
13.1:1
21.4:1
Parkersburg-Vienna
Childcare
$8,974/yr
$11,828/yr
Parkersburg-Vienna
Environment
2508 violations
1172 violations
Provo-Orem-Lehi

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 · West Virginia
82 A #2/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
86
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
64
Destination state · Utah
53 D #40/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
83
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
0

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 Parkersburg-Vienna to see what you'd need to earn in Provo-Orem-Lehi to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Provo-Orem-Lehi
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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