Waco → Utica-Rome
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Waco to Utica-Rome is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.5 to 92.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $199/mo.
- +$8,745
- BLS median salary higher in Utica-Rome
- 395 to 380
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.7:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $6,303
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Utica-Rome
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
- + $9K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $199/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.5 to 92.7 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $199/mo ($2,388/yr) from $973 in Waco to $1,172 in Utica-Rome.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Utica-Rome sits #54 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Waco is #233/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,745 higher ($60,744 → $69,489). Labor-market size: 117,690 tracked jobs at origin vs 109,220 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: 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
- 100
- Property tax
- 55
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 44
- Income tax
- 80
- Property tax
- 48
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 96
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 Utica-Rome 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