Yakima Prescott Valley-Prescott

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 95.5 → 98.3
Rent Delta: +$263/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $263/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $8K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Yakima to Prescott Valley-Prescott shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 95.5 to 98.3 (100 = US average), so a Yakima salary needs to be multiplied by 1.03 to hold the same purchasing power in Prescott Valley-Prescott. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,374/month in Yakima to $1,637/month in Prescott Valley-Prescott - a higher monthly bill of $263, or $3,156/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $70,002 in Yakima versus $61,824 in Prescott Valley-Prescott - a raw gap of $8,178 lower. The Prescott Valley-Prescott labor market has 65,740 tracked jobs against 90,310 in Yakima, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Yakima and Prescott Valley-Prescott are 329 and 429 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.6:1 at origin versus 17:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $15,987/year in Yakima versus $11,301/year in Prescott Valley-Prescott. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Yakima
Prescott Valley-Prescott
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 95.5
RPP 98.3
Yakima
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,374/mo
$1,637/mo
Yakima
💼 Wages
$70,002
$61,824
Yakima
🔒 Crime
329 per 100K
429 per 100K
Yakima
🎓 Schools
17.6:1
17:1
Prescott Valley-Prescott
👶 Childcare
$15,987/yr
$11,301/yr
Prescott Valley-Prescott
🌿 Environment
2705 violations
4821 violations
Yakima

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Yakima to see what you'd need to earn in Prescott Valley-Prescott to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Prescott Valley-Prescott
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Prescott Valley-Prescott more expensive than Yakima?
Prescott Valley-Prescott has an RPP of 98.3 compared to Yakima's 95.5 (100 = national average). Prescott Valley-Prescott is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Prescott Valley-Prescott is $1,637/mo vs $1,374/mo in Yakima.
What are salaries like in Prescott Valley-Prescott compared to Yakima?
The median salary in Prescott Valley-Prescott is $61,824 compared to $70,002 in Yakima. That's a -$8,178 difference.
Is Prescott Valley-Prescott safer than Yakima?
The violent crime rate near Prescott Valley-Prescott is 429 per 100K vs 329 per 100K near Yakima (state-level data). Yakima has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Prescott Valley-Prescott to match my Yakima salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Yakima salary by 1.03. For example, a $75,000 salary in Yakima would need to be $77,127 in Prescott Valley-Prescott. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)