Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington → Raleigh-Cary
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to Raleigh-Cary is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 102.6 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $60/mo.
- -$5,567
- BLS median salary lower in Raleigh-Cary
- 250 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13:1 to 16.1:1
- 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.
Pros of Moving
- + 4% lower cost of living
- + $60/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $6K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 102.6 to 98.2 (ratio 0.96), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $60/mo ($720/yr) from $1,810 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to $1,750 in Raleigh-Cary.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Raleigh-Cary sits #241 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is #279/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,567 lower ($74,260 → $68,693). Labor-market size: 2,874,190 tracked jobs at origin vs 725,130 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Pennsylvania 65 (C, #18/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). 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
- 95
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 72
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to see what you'd need to earn in Raleigh-Cary to maintain the same purchasing power.
Raleigh-Cary 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