Winston-Salem Utica-Rome

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Winston-Salem to Utica-Rome is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.0 to 92.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $212/mo.

+$5,571
BLS median salary higher in Utica-Rome
365 to 380
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.8:1 to 11.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,382
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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 92.0 → 92.7
Rent Delta: +$212/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $212/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 92.0 to 92.7 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $212/mo ($2,544/yr) from $960 in Winston-Salem to $1,172 in Utica-Rome.

Winston-Salem still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Utica-Rome sits #54 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Winston-Salem is #82/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,571 higher ($63,918 → $69,489). Labor-market size: 259,100 tracked jobs at origin vs 109,220 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: North Carolina scores 68 (C, #13/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Winston-Salem
Utica-Rome
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.0
RPP 92.7
Winston-Salem
Rent (2BR)
$960/mo
$1,172/mo
Winston-Salem
Wages
$63,918
$69,489
Utica-Rome
Crime
365 per 100K
380 per 100K
Winston-Salem
Schools
15.8:1
11.8:1
Utica-Rome
Childcare
$9,487/yr
$13,869/yr
Winston-Salem
Environment
3120 violations
5536 violations
Winston-Salem

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 · North Carolina
68 C #13/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
66
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
30
Destination state · New York
46 F #46/51
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 Winston-Salem to see what you'd need to earn in Utica-Rome to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Utica-Rome
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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