Waco → Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Waco to Mount Vernon-Anacortes is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.5 to 102.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $747/mo.
- +$13,891
- BLS median salary higher in Mount Vernon-Anacortes
- 395 to 329
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.7:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $8,421
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Mount Vernon-Anacortes
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
- + $14K higher median salary
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 10% higher cost of living
- - $747/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.5 to 102.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Mount Vernon-Anacortes (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $747/mo ($8,964/yr) from $973 in Waco to $1,720 in Mount Vernon-Anacortes.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Mount Vernon-Anacortes sits #253 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Waco is #233/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $13,891 higher ($60,744 → $74,635). Labor-market size: 117,690 tracked jobs at origin vs 46,720 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). 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
- 100
- Property tax
- 55
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 44
- Income tax
- 63
- Property tax
- 63
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 18
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 Waco to see what you'd need to earn in Mount Vernon-Anacortes to maintain the same purchasing power.
Mount Vernon-Anacortes 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