Worcester → Utica-Rome
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Worcester to Utica-Rome is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 102.5 to 92.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $577/mo.
- -$9,853
- BLS median salary lower in Utica-Rome
- 309 to 380
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 12.3:1 to 11.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $6,702
- DOL infant care lower / 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
- + 10% lower cost of living
- + $577/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $10K lower median salary
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 102.5 to 92.7, so each dollar covers more in Utica-Rome (ratio 0.90). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $577/mo ($6,924/yr) from $1,749 in Worcester 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). Worcester is #130/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $9,853 lower ($79,342 → $69,489). Labor-market size: 337,180 tracked jobs at origin vs 109,220 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Massachusetts 45 (F, #48/51) vs New York 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
- 55
- Property tax
- 65
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 84
- 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 Worcester to see what you'd need to earn in Utica-Rome to maintain the same purchasing power.
Utica-Rome 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