Salem → Abilene
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Salem to Abilene is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 103.6 to 90.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $284/mo.
- -$15,525
- BLS median salary lower in Abilene
- 335 to 395
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.6:1 to 14.7:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $5,073
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Abilene
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
- + 13% lower cost of living
- + $284/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $16K lower median salary
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 103.6 to 90.4, so each dollar covers more in Abilene (ratio 0.87). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $284/mo ($3,408/yr) from $1,560 in Salem to $1,276 in Abilene.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Abilene sits #237 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Salem is #278/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $15,525 lower ($73,178 → $57,653). Labor-market size: 179,820 tracked jobs at origin vs 68,490 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). 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
- 62
- Property tax
- 64
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 14
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 55
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 44
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 Salem to see what you'd need to earn in Abilene to maintain the same purchasing power.
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