Utica-Rome Winston-Salem

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Utica-Rome to Winston-Salem is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.7 to 92.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $212/mo.

-$5,571
BLS median salary lower in Winston-Salem
380 to 365
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.8:1 to 15.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,382
DOL infant care lower / yr in Winston-Salem

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.

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 92.7 → 92.0
Rent Delta: -$212/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $212/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $6K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.7 to 92.0 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $212/mo ($2,544/yr) from $1,172 in Utica-Rome to $960 in Winston-Salem.

Winston-Salem leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Winston-Salem sits #82 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Utica-Rome is #54/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,571 lower ($69,489 → $63,918). Labor-market size: 109,220 tracked jobs at origin vs 259,100 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Utica-Rome
Winston-Salem
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.7
RPP 92.0
Winston-Salem
Rent (2BR)
$1,172/mo
$960/mo
Winston-Salem
Wages
$69,489
$63,918
Utica-Rome
Crime
380 per 100K
365 per 100K
Winston-Salem
Schools
11.8:1
15.8:1
Utica-Rome
Childcare
$13,869/yr
$9,487/yr
Winston-Salem
Environment
5536 violations
3120 violations
Winston-Salem

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · New York
46 F #46/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
48
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
96
Destination state · North Carolina
68 C #13/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
66
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
30

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 Winston-Salem to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Winston-Salem
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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