Utica-Rome → Waco
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Utica-Rome to Waco is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.7 to 92.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $199/mo.
- -$8,745
- BLS median salary lower in Waco
- 380 to 395
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 11.8:1 to 14.7:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $6,303
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Waco
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
- + $199/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $9K lower median salary
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.7 to 92.5 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $199/mo ($2,388/yr) from $1,172 in Utica-Rome to $973 in Waco.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Waco sits #233 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Utica-Rome is #54/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,745 lower ($69,489 → $60,744). Labor-market size: 109,220 tracked jobs at origin vs 117,690 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) 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
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
- 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 Utica-Rome to see what you'd need to earn in Waco 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