Provo-Orem-Lehi Parkersburg-Vienna

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Provo-Orem-Lehi to Parkersburg-Vienna is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.2 to 87.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $532/mo.

-$7,815
BLS median salary lower in Parkersburg-Vienna
229 to 242
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
21.4:1 to 13.1:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$2,854
DOL infant care lower / yr in Parkersburg-Vienna

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: 98.2 → 87.1
Rent Delta: -$532/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 11% lower cost of living
  • + $532/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $8K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 98.2 to 87.1, so each dollar covers more in Parkersburg-Vienna (ratio 0.89). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $532/mo ($6,384/yr) from $1,460 in Provo-Orem-Lehi to $928 in Parkersburg-Vienna.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Parkersburg-Vienna sits #5 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Provo-Orem-Lehi is #339/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,815 lower ($63,856 → $56,041). Labor-market size: 293,200 tracked jobs at origin vs 30,150 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: West Virginia scores 82 (A, #2/51) vs Utah at 53 (D, #40/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Parkersburg-Vienna
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.2
RPP 87.1
Parkersburg-Vienna
Rent (2BR)
$1,460/mo
$928/mo
Parkersburg-Vienna
Wages
$63,856
$56,041
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Crime
229 per 100K
242 per 100K
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Schools
21.4:1
13.1:1
Parkersburg-Vienna
Childcare
$11,828/yr
$8,974/yr
Parkersburg-Vienna
Environment
1172 violations
2508 violations
Provo-Orem-Lehi

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 · Utah
53 D #40/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
83
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
0
Destination state · West Virginia
82 A #2/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
86
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
64

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 Provo-Orem-Lehi to see what you'd need to earn in Parkersburg-Vienna to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Parkersburg-Vienna
-

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