St. Louis → Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from St. Louis to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 95.1 to 105.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,006/mo.
- +$11,498
- BLS median salary higher in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
- 463 to 335
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 12.2:1 to 17.2:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
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
- + $11K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 10% higher cost of living
- - $1006/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 95.1 to 105.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,006/mo ($12,072/yr) from $916 in St. Louis to $1,922 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits #231 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). St. Louis is #182/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,498 higher ($68,074 → $79,572). Labor-market size: 1,311,920 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,180,420 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Missouri scores 68 (C, #12/51) 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
- 82
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 80
- Income tax
- 62
- Property tax
- 64
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 14
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 St. Louis to see what you'd need to earn in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro to maintain the same purchasing power.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 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