Youngstown-Warren Johnson City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 87.4 → 87.9
Rent Delta: +$159/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $159/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Moving from Youngstown-Warren to Johnson City shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 87.4 to 87.9 (100 = US average), so a Youngstown-Warren salary needs to be multiplied by 1.01 to hold the same purchasing power in Johnson City. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $973/month in Youngstown-Warren to $1,132/month in Johnson City - a higher monthly bill of $159, or $1,908/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 $58,019 in Youngstown-Warren versus $57,056 in Johnson City - a raw gap of $963 lower. The Johnson City labor market has 74,580 tracked jobs against 152,720 in Youngstown-Warren, 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 Youngstown-Warren and Johnson City are 293 and 602 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 18.2:1 at origin versus 15.3:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $11,791/year in Youngstown-Warren versus $7,860/year in Johnson City. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Youngstown-Warren
Johnson City
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 87.4
RPP 87.9
Youngstown-Warren
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$973/mo
$1,132/mo
Youngstown-Warren
💼 Wages
$58,019
$57,056
Youngstown-Warren
🔒 Crime
293 per 100K
602 per 100K
Youngstown-Warren
🎓 Schools
18.2:1
15.3:1
Johnson City
👶 Childcare
$11,791/yr
$7,860/yr
Johnson City
🌿 Environment
1386 violations
1091 violations
Johnson City

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Youngstown-Warren to see what you'd need to earn in Johnson City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Johnson City
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Johnson City more expensive than Youngstown-Warren?
Johnson City has an RPP of 87.9 compared to Youngstown-Warren's 87.4 (100 = national average). Johnson City is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Johnson City is $1,132/mo vs $973/mo in Youngstown-Warren.
What are salaries like in Johnson City compared to Youngstown-Warren?
The median salary in Johnson City is $57,056 compared to $58,019 in Youngstown-Warren. That's a -$963 difference.
Is Johnson City safer than Youngstown-Warren?
The violent crime rate near Johnson City is 602 per 100K vs 293 per 100K near Youngstown-Warren (state-level data). Youngstown-Warren has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Johnson City to match my Youngstown-Warren salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Youngstown-Warren salary by 1.01. For example, a $75,000 salary in Youngstown-Warren would need to be $75,458 in Johnson City. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 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)