Richmond → Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Richmond to Albany-Schenectady-Troy is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.9 to 99.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $47/mo.
- +$2,494
- BLS median salary higher in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
- 223 to 380
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.9:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $3,462
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $2K 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 97.9 to 99.6 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,655 → $1,702); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.
Richmond still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Albany-Schenectady-Troy sits #220 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Richmond is #179/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,494 higher ($71,318 → $73,812). Labor-market size: 637,140 tracked jobs at origin vs 439,210 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Virginia scores 64 (C, #20/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 71
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 62
- Income tax
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
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 Richmond to see what you'd need to earn in Albany-Schenectady-Troy to maintain the same purchasing power.
Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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