Pocatello Cedar Rapids

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Pocatello to Cedar Rapids is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.9 to 89.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $217/mo.

+$4,001
BLS median salary higher in Cedar Rapids
235 to 238
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.1:1 to 14.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$991
DOL infant care higher / yr in Cedar Rapids

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
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 88.9 → 89.0
Rent Delta: -$217/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $217/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $4K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 88.9 to 89.0 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $217/mo ($2,604/yr) from $1,173 in Pocatello to $956 in Cedar Rapids.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Cedar Rapids sits #31 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Pocatello is #92/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,001 higher ($59,267 → $63,268). Labor-market size: 29,080 tracked jobs at origin vs 133,750 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Idaho at 58 (D, #30/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Pocatello
Cedar Rapids
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 88.9
RPP 89.0
Pocatello
Rent (2BR)
$1,173/mo
$956/mo
Cedar Rapids
Wages
$59,267
$63,268
Cedar Rapids
Crime
235 per 100K
238 per 100K
Pocatello
Schools
17.1:1
14.8:1
Cedar Rapids
Childcare
$7,315/yr
$8,306/yr
Pocatello
Environment
2331 violations
742 violations
Cedar Rapids

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 · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24
Destination state · Iowa
70 B #8/51
Income tax
85
Property tax
58
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
42

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 Pocatello to see what you'd need to earn in Cedar Rapids to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Cedar Rapids
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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