Waco → Sandusky
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Waco to Sandusky is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.5 to 89.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $133/mo.
- -$1,334
- BLS median salary lower in Sandusky
- 395 to 293
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.7:1 to 18.2:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,225
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Sandusky
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
- + 3% lower cost of living
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $133/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.5 to 89.3 (ratio 0.96), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $133/mo ($1,596/yr) from $973 in Waco to $1,106 in Sandusky.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Sandusky sits #164 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Waco is #233/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,334 lower ($60,744 → $59,410). Labor-market size: 117,690 tracked jobs at origin vs 43,460 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Texas 65 (C, #19/51) vs Ohio 59 (D, #29/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 57
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 10
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 Sandusky 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