Waterloo-Cedar Falls → Grants Pass
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Waterloo-Cedar Falls to Grants Pass is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.1 to 97.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $312/mo.
- +$3,880
- BLS median salary higher in Grants Pass
- 238 to 335
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 17.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,333
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Grants Pass
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
- + $4K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 11% higher cost of living
- - $312/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.1 to 97.8, so the same paycheck buys less in Grants Pass (ratio 1.12). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $312/mo ($3,744/yr) from $1,051 in Waterloo-Cedar Falls to $1,363 in Grants Pass.
Waterloo-Cedar Falls still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Grants Pass sits #198 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Waterloo-Cedar Falls is #66/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,880 higher ($61,344 → $65,224). Labor-market size: 77,420 tracked jobs at origin vs 25,220 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Oregon at 41 (F, #49/51). 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
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- Income tax
- 62
- Property tax
- 64
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 14
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls to see what you'd need to earn in Grants Pass to maintain the same purchasing power.
Grants Pass 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