Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater New York-Newark-Jersey City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 100.9 → 112.6
Rent Delta: +$347/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $19K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 12% higher cost of living
  • - $347/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to New York-Newark-Jersey City shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 100.9 to 112.6 (100 = US average), so a Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater salary needs to be multiplied by 1.12 to hold the same purchasing power in New York-Newark-Jersey City. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,977/month in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to $2,324/month in New York-Newark-Jersey City - a higher monthly bill of $347, or $4,164/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $68,404 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater versus $87,148 in New York-Newark-Jersey City - a raw gap of $18,744 higher. The New York-Newark-Jersey City labor market has 9,414,820 tracked jobs against 1,402,180 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and New York-Newark-Jersey City are 210 and 380 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.8:1 at origin versus 11.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $10,505/year in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater versus $13,869/year in New York-Newark-Jersey City. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 100.9
RPP 112.6
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,977/mo
$2,324/mo
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
💼 Wages
$68,404
$87,148
New York-Newark-Jersey City
🔒 Crime
210 per 100K
380 per 100K
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
🎓 Schools
17.8:1
11.8:1
New York-Newark-Jersey City
👶 Childcare
$10,505/yr
$13,869/yr
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
🌿 Environment
2676 violations
5270 violations
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to see what you'd need to earn in New York-Newark-Jersey City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is New York-Newark-Jersey City more expensive than Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has an RPP of 112.6 compared to Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater's 100.9 (100 = national average). New York-Newark-Jersey City is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in New York-Newark-Jersey City is $2,324/mo vs $1,977/mo in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
What are salaries like in New York-Newark-Jersey City compared to Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The median salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City is $87,148 compared to $68,404 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. That's a +$18,744 difference.
Is New York-Newark-Jersey City safer than Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The violent crime rate near New York-Newark-Jersey City is 380 per 100K vs 210 per 100K near Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (state-level data). Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in New York-Newark-Jersey City to match my Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater salary by 1.12. For example, a $75,000 salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater would need to be $83,678 in New York-Newark-Jersey City. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)