San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont → Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to Boston-Cambridge-Newton is strongly favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 115.6 to 108.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $29/mo.
- -$11,906
- BLS median salary lower in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- 477 to 309
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 20.8:1 to 11.9:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,651
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
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
- + 7% lower cost of living
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $12K lower median salary
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 115.6 to 108.3, so each dollar covers more in Boston-Cambridge-Newton (ratio 0.94). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($2,912 → $2,941); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits #218 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is #387/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Strongly Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,906 lower ($95,708 → $83,802). Labor-market size: 2,339,300 tracked jobs at origin vs 2,639,240 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: California 40 (F, #50/51) vs Massachusetts 45 (F, #48/51). 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
- 70
- Property tax
- 72
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 4
- Income tax
- 55
- Property tax
- 65
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 84
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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to see what you'd need to earn in Boston-Cambridge-Newton to maintain the same purchasing power.
Boston-Cambridge-Newton 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