Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington → Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Pros of Moving
- + $4K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 3% higher cost of living
- - $279/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Moving from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to Denver-Aurora-Centennial shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 102.6 to 105.8 (100 = US average), so a Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary needs to be multiplied by 1.03 to hold the same purchasing power in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,810/month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to $2,089/month in Denver-Aurora-Centennial - a higher monthly bill of $279, or $3,348/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.
Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington versus $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial - a raw gap of $4,259 higher. The Denver-Aurora-Centennial labor market has 1,580,940 tracked jobs against 2,874,190 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.
Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington and Denver-Aurora-Centennial are 250 and 481 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 13.6:1 at origin versus 16.6:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to see what you'd need to earn in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to maintain the same purchasing power.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Denver-Aurora-Centennial more expensive than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
What are salaries like in Denver-Aurora-Centennial compared to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Is Denver-Aurora-Centennial safer than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
How much would I need to earn in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to match my Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary?
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Data Sources
- Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
- Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
- Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.