Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler → Raleigh-Cary
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler to Raleigh-Cary is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.3 to 98.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $89/mo.
- -$4,850
- BLS median salary lower in Raleigh-Cary
- 429 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.2:1 to 16.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $1,814
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Raleigh-Cary
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
- + 5% lower cost of living
- + $89/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $5K lower median salary
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 103.3 to 98.2 (ratio 0.95), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $89/mo ($1,068/yr) from $1,839 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler to $1,750 in Raleigh-Cary.
Raleigh-Cary leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Raleigh-Cary sits #241 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is #357/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,850 lower ($73,543 → $68,693). Labor-market size: 2,342,930 tracked jobs at origin vs 725,130 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) vs Arizona at 53 (D, #37/51). 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
- 82
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 22
- 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 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