Waterbury-Shelton Mount Vernon-Anacortes

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Waterbury-Shelton to Mount Vernon-Anacortes is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 99.8 to 102.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $68/mo.

+$2,164
BLS median salary higher in Mount Vernon-Anacortes
139 to 329
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
12.1:1 to 17.6:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$1,140
DOL infant care lower / 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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 99.8 → 102.4
Rent Delta: -$68/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $68/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $2K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 99.8 to 102.4 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $68/mo ($816/yr) from $1,788 in Waterbury-Shelton 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). Waterbury-Shelton is #87/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,164 higher ($72,471 → $74,635). Labor-market size: 153,560 tracked jobs at origin vs 46,720 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Connecticut scores 52 (D, #41/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Waterbury-Shelton
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 99.8
RPP 102.4
Waterbury-Shelton
Rent (2BR)
$1,788/mo
$1,720/mo
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Wages
$72,471
$74,635
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Crime
139 per 100K
329 per 100K
Waterbury-Shelton
Schools
12.1:1
17.6:1
Waterbury-Shelton
Childcare
$17,127/yr
$15,987/yr
Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Environment
801 violations
2879 violations
Waterbury-Shelton

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 · Connecticut
52 D #41/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
50
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
86
Destination state · Washington
38 F #51/51
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 Waterbury-Shelton to see what you'd need to earn in Mount Vernon-Anacortes to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Mount Vernon-Anacortes
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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