Youngstown-Warren → Valdosta
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Youngstown-Warren to Valdosta is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.4 to 88.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $219/mo.
- -$4,107
- BLS median salary lower in Valdosta
- 293 to 300
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 18.2:1 to 14.4:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $5,200
- DOL infant care lower / yr in Valdosta
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
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + More affordable childcare
Cons of Moving
- - $219/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - $4K lower median salary
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 87.4 to 88.3 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $219/mo ($2,628/yr) from $973 in Youngstown-Warren to $1,192 in Valdosta.
Youngstown-Warren still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Valdosta sits #144 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Youngstown-Warren is #173/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,107 lower ($58,019 → $53,912). Labor-market size: 152,720 tracked jobs at origin vs 47,550 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Georgia scores 68 (C, #10/51) vs Ohio at 59 (D, #29/51). 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
- 72
- Property tax
- 57
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 10
- Income tax
- 88
- Property tax
- 74
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 48
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 Youngstown-Warren to see what you'd need to earn in Valdosta to maintain the same purchasing power.
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