Pocatello Champaign-Urbana

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Pocatello to Champaign-Urbana is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.9 to 92.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $51/mo.

+$7,669
BLS median salary higher in Champaign-Urbana
235 to 277
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.1:1 to 14:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,942
DOL infant care higher / yr in Champaign-Urbana

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 88.9 → 92.7
Rent Delta: -$51/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $51/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $8K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 4% higher cost of living
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 88.9 to 92.7 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $51/mo ($612/yr) from $1,173 in Pocatello to $1,122 in Champaign-Urbana.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Champaign-Urbana sits #65 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Pocatello is #92/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,669 higher ($59,267 → $66,936). Labor-market size: 29,080 tracked jobs at origin vs 94,460 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Idaho 58 (D, #30/51) vs Illinois 58 (D, #31/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Pocatello
Champaign-Urbana
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 88.9
RPP 92.7
Pocatello
Rent (2BR)
$1,173/mo
$1,122/mo
Champaign-Urbana
Wages
$59,267
$66,936
Champaign-Urbana
Crime
235 per 100K
277 per 100K
Pocatello
Schools
17.1:1
14:1
Champaign-Urbana
Childcare
$7,315/yr
$12,257/yr
Pocatello
Environment
2331 violations
3029 violations
Pocatello

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 · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46

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 Champaign-Urbana to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Champaign-Urbana
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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