Provo-Orem-Lehi Yakima

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Provo-Orem-Lehi to Yakima is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.2 to 95.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $86/mo.

+$6,146
BLS median salary higher in Yakima
229 to 329
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
21.4:1 to 17.6:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,159
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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 98.2 → 95.5
Rent Delta: -$86/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $86/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 98.2 to 95.5 (ratio 0.97), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $86/mo ($1,032/yr) from $1,460 in Provo-Orem-Lehi to $1,374 in Yakima.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Yakima sits #202 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Provo-Orem-Lehi is #339/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,146 higher ($63,856 → $70,002). Labor-market size: 293,200 tracked jobs at origin vs 90,310 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Utah scores 53 (D, #40/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Yakima
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.2
RPP 95.5
Yakima
Rent (2BR)
$1,460/mo
$1,374/mo
Yakima
Wages
$63,856
$70,002
Yakima
Crime
229 per 100K
329 per 100K
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Schools
21.4:1
17.6:1
Yakima
Childcare
$11,828/yr
$15,987/yr
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Environment
1172 violations
2879 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 · 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 Provo-Orem-Lehi 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