Prescott Valley-Prescott Yakima

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Prescott Valley-Prescott to Yakima is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.3 to 95.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $263/mo.

+$8,178
BLS median salary higher in Yakima
429 to 329
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17:1 to 17.6:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,686
DOL infant care higher / yr in Yakima

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: 98.3 → 95.5
Rent Delta: -$263/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $263/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $8K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 98.3 to 95.5 (ratio 0.97), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $263/mo ($3,156/yr) from $1,637 in Prescott Valley-Prescott to $1,374 in Yakima.

Yakima leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Yakima sits #202 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Prescott Valley-Prescott is #345/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,178 higher ($61,824 → $70,002). Labor-market size: 65,740 tracked jobs at origin vs 90,310 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Arizona scores 53 (D, #37/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Yakima
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.3
RPP 95.5
Yakima
Rent (2BR)
$1,637/mo
$1,374/mo
Yakima
Wages
$61,824
$70,002
Yakima
Crime
429 per 100K
329 per 100K
Yakima
Schools
17:1
17.6:1
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Childcare
$11,301/yr
$15,987/yr
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Environment
5259 violations
2879 violations
Yakima

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 · Arizona
53 D #37/51
Income tax
82
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
22
Destination state · Washington
38 F #51/51
Income tax
63
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
18

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 Prescott Valley-Prescott to see what you'd need to earn in Yakima to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Yakima
-

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