“Where Should I Move?” Recommender
Compare a few cities across cost, safety, climate, remote work, and more. Get a simple ranking based on your priorities—a starting point for your research.
Compare cities before you move
Pick a few cities and see a simple ranking based on cost, jobs, safety, climate, remote work, and more.
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Understanding "Where Should I Move?" Recommender: Multi-City Comparison Across Eight Dimensions
Choosing where to move is one of life's most significant decisions, affecting career opportunities, cost of living, quality of life, family well-being, and personal happiness. The "Where Should I Move?" Recommender helps you compare multiple cities across eight critical dimensions—cost of living, job opportunities, safety and crime, climate comfort, remote work infrastructure, family-friendliness, healthcare access, and lifestyle amenities—to produce a ranked list based on your priorities. This tool enables students, professionals, researchers, and everyday people to evaluate multiple cities simultaneously, identify locations that offer the best balance of factors important to them, and understand how different priorities affect city rankings.
For students and researchers, this tool demonstrates practical applications of multi-criteria decision analysis, weighted composite scoring, and ranking algorithms. The move recommender calculation shows how multiple factors (cost, jobs, safety, climate, remote work, family, healthcare, lifestyle) can be combined using weighted formulas to create meaningful rankings. Business professionals can use city comparisons to evaluate relocation opportunities, understand how different cities support different lifestyles, and assess whether job offers in different cities provide comparable quality of life. The tool helps HR professionals and job seekers understand that city selection is multidimensional—a city might excel in job opportunities but struggle with affordability, or offer great lifestyle amenities but have safety concerns.
For the common person considering a move or evaluating multiple cities, this tool answers fundamental questions: Which cities offer the best balance of cost and quality of life? How do cities compare across multiple factors? Which cities align best with my priorities? The tool personalizes results by allowing you to select priority profiles (balanced, budget focused, remote work focused, family focused, lifestyle focused, health & safety focused) and optional constraints (must have good remote work, must have lower cost than current city), which adjust weights and apply penalties to match your specific needs. Taxpayers and budget-conscious individuals can use city comparisons to identify locations that offer good quality of life without breaking the bank, enabling them to make informed relocation decisions while managing costs effectively.
The "Where Should I Move?" Recommender goes beyond simple city rankings to provide a comprehensive multi-dimensional comparison. By combining eight dimensions with customizable priority profiles and optional constraints, the tool recognizes that successful city selection requires balancing multiple factors. Whether you're comparing two cities or ten, exploring how different priorities affect rankings, or understanding the trade-offs between cities with different dimension profiles, this tool serves as your comprehensive guide to evaluating cities for relocation based on cost, jobs, safety, climate, remote work, family, healthcare, and lifestyle.
Understanding the Basics
Eight Dimensions of City Comparison
The tool evaluates cities across eight dimensions, each scored 0-100 where higher is better: (1) Cost of Living—affordability of housing, goods, and services relative to national averages; (2) Job Opportunities—strength of the job market, wages, and employment options; (3) Safety/Crime—crime rates relative to national averages, where higher scores mean lower crime; (4) Climate Comfort—year-round weather patterns including hot days, cold days, humidity, and comfortable temperature ranges; (5) Remote Work—infrastructure for working from home including internet speed, coworking spaces, and work-from-home friendliness; (6) Family-Friendliness—school quality, parks, family amenities, and child-friendly infrastructure; (7) Healthcare Access—doctors per capita, hospital access, and clinic availability; (8) Lifestyle & Amenities—culture, dining, entertainment, parks, and overall quality of life infrastructure. Each dimension is based on city-level aggregate data and may not reflect neighborhood-level variation.
Priority Profiles and Weight Adjustment
Priority profiles adjust how much weight each dimension carries in the overall move score. "Balanced" weights all factors roughly equally (cost 16%, jobs 16%, safety 16%, climate 12%, remote work 12%, family 12%, healthcare 8%, lifestyle 8%). "Budget Focused" increases cost weight by 10% while reducing lifestyle and climate weights. "Remote Work Focused" increases remote work and job weights while reducing cost and lifestyle weights. "Family Focused" increases family and safety weights while reducing cost and lifestyle weights. "Lifestyle Focused" increases lifestyle and climate weights while reducing cost and remote work weights. "Health & Safety Focused" increases healthcare and safety weights while reducing lifestyle and cost weights. After adjustments, weights are normalized to sum to 1.0 (100%) to ensure mathematical consistency.
Overall Move Score Calculation
The Overall Move Score is calculated as a weighted sum of all eight dimension scores using the weights from your selected priority profile: Overall Move Score = (Cost Score × Cost Weight) + (Jobs Score × Jobs Weight) + (Safety Score × Safety Weight) + (Climate Score × Climate Weight) + (Remote Work Score × Remote Work Weight) + (Family Score × Family Weight) + (Healthcare Score × Healthcare Weight) + (Lifestyle Score × Lifestyle Weight). The result is then adjusted for optional constraints: if "must have good remote work" is enabled and remote work score < 50, subtract 8 points; if "must have lower cost than current" is enabled and cost score < current city cost score, subtract 6 points. The final score is rounded to one decimal place and clamped to 0-100.
City Ranking and Comparison
Cities are ranked by their overall move score in descending order, with the highest score representing the best match for your stated priorities. The tool can compare 2-10 cities simultaneously. Rank 1 is the best match, rank 2 is the second-best match, and so on. Score gaps between cities indicate how close the choices are—a small gap (≤3 points) suggests cities are very close, while a large gap (≥8 points) suggests the top city aligns more strongly with your priorities. The tool also identifies each city's strongest dimension (highest dimension score) and strength tags (top 2-3 dimensions above 70) to help you understand what each city excels at.
Optional Constraints and Penalties
Two optional constraints can nudge rankings: (1) "I need good remote work conditions" applies a small penalty (-8 points) to cities with weak remote work scores (< 50) when this constraint is enabled. This helps filter out cities that don't support remote work well. (2) "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city" applies a small penalty (-6 points) to cities that are more expensive than your current city (only available if you enter your current city). This helps identify cities that are more affordable than where you currently live. These are soft adjustments (penalties), not hard filters—cities can still rank high if they excel in other dimensions.
Data Sources and Limitations
All dimension scores are based on static, pre-aggregated city-level data that may be 1-2 years old. The data represents city-wide averages and may not reflect neighborhood-level variation, individual circumstances, or recent changes. Cost of living scores reflect general affordability patterns, not your specific spending. Job opportunity scores reflect overall market strength, not opportunities in your specific field. Safety scores are relative indices, not absolute safety guarantees. Climate scores reflect weather patterns, not personal preferences. Always research specific neighborhoods, visit cities in person, and consider factors not captured in these scores when making relocation decisions.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use This Tool
Step 1: Add Candidate Cities
Start by adding 2-10 cities you're considering for relocation. Click "Add City" to add a new city entry, then type the city name and select the corresponding state from the dropdown menu. The tool includes data for approximately 85 major US cities across all eight dimensions. You can add multiple cities to compare them side-by-side. If a city isn't in the database, the tool will use default moderate estimates, but results will be less accurate for specific comparisons. Remove cities you no longer want to compare by clicking the remove button.
Step 2: Select Your Priority Profile
Choose a priority profile that matches your relocation priorities: Balanced (equal emphasis on all factors), Budget Focused (emphasizes cost of living), Remote Work Focused (emphasizes remote work infrastructure and job opportunities), Family Focused (emphasizes family-friendliness and safety), Lifestyle Focused (emphasizes amenities and climate), or Health & Safety Focused (emphasizes healthcare access and safety). This selection adjusts dimension weights to reflect your priorities. For example, if cost is your top concern, select "Budget Focused" to see how cities rank when affordability is weighted more heavily. Experiment with different profiles to see how they affect rankings and identify cities that align with your specific needs.
Step 3: (Optional) Enter Your Current City
If you want to compare candidate cities to your current location or use the "lower cost than current" constraint, enter your current city name and state. This enables the "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city" constraint option and helps you understand how candidate cities compare to where you currently live. The tool will use your current city's cost of living score to determine which candidate cities are more or less expensive.
Step 4: (Optional) Enable Constraints
Enable optional constraints if they apply to your situation: (1) "I need good remote work conditions" applies a penalty to cities with weak remote work scores, helping filter out cities that don't support remote work well. (2) "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city" applies a penalty to cities more expensive than your current city (only available if you entered your current city). These constraints are soft adjustments (penalties), not hard filters—cities can still rank high if they excel in other dimensions. Use constraints to refine rankings based on your must-have requirements.
Step 5: Review the Ranked Results
After clicking "Compare Cities" or submitting the form, the tool displays ranked results with key performance indicators (KPIs), detailed city cards, and visualizations. The KPI section shows the top-ranked city, score range across all cities, and number of cities compared. Each city card shows the overall move score, rank, dimension breakdown, strongest dimension, and strength tags. Visualizations help you understand the data through charts and graphs comparing cities across dimensions. The results are sorted by overall move score in descending order, with rank 1 being the best match for your priorities.
Step 6: Interpret the Best Fit Summary and Takeaways
Read the best fit summary which explains which city ranks #1, why it ranks highest, and how it compares to the runner-up. The summary identifies score gaps to help you understand how close the choices are. For example, it might state that "Based on budget-focused priorities, Des Moines, Iowa ranks #1 with an overall move score of 78/100. This city stands out particularly for its cost of living (score: 72). Indianapolis, Indiana is a close second with a score of 75, only 3 points behind." The key takeaways section highlights important insights, such as top city strengths, runner-up comparisons, how your priority profile affected rankings, constraint impacts, and score ranges across all cities.
Formulas and Behind-the-Scenes Logic
Weight Profile Derivation
Weights are derived from priority profile, starting from a balanced base:
Base Balanced Weights:
Cost = 0.16, Jobs = 0.16, Safety = 0.16, Climate = 0.12, Remote Work = 0.12, Family = 0.12, Healthcare = 0.08, Lifestyle = 0.08
If Budget Focused: Cost Weight += 0.10, Lifestyle Weight -= 0.04, Climate Weight -= 0.03, Remote Work Weight -= 0.03
If Remote Work Focused: Remote Work Weight += 0.10, Jobs Weight += 0.04, Cost Weight -= 0.04, Lifestyle Weight -= 0.04, Climate Weight -= 0.03, Healthcare Weight += 0.03
If Family Focused: Family Weight += 0.10, Safety Weight += 0.04, Cost Weight -= 0.04, Lifestyle Weight -= 0.04, Healthcare Weight += 0.02, Remote Work Weight -= 0.02
If Lifestyle Focused: Lifestyle Weight += 0.10, Climate Weight += 0.04, Cost Weight -= 0.04, Remote Work Weight -= 0.04, Family Weight -= 0.03, Healthcare Weight += 0.03
If Health & Safety Focused: Healthcare Weight += 0.08, Safety Weight += 0.06, Lifestyle Weight -= 0.04, Cost Weight -= 0.04, Family Weight += 0.02, Remote Work Weight -= 0.02
Normalize: Scale all weights to sum to 1.0
After applying priority profile adjustments, weights are normalized to sum to 1.0 (100%) to ensure the overall move score stays on a 0-100 scale. This normalization preserves the relative proportions while ensuring mathematical consistency.
Overall Move Score Calculation
The Overall Move Score is calculated as a weighted sum of all dimension scores, then adjusted for constraints:
Base Score = (Cost Score × Cost Weight) + (Jobs Score × Jobs Weight) + (Safety Score × Safety Weight) + (Climate Score × Climate Weight) + (Remote Work Score × Remote Work Weight) + (Family Score × Family Weight) + (Healthcare Score × Healthcare Weight) + (Lifestyle Score × Lifestyle Weight)
If "Must Have Good Remote Work" enabled AND Remote Work Score < 50: Adjusted Score = Base Score - 8
If "Must Have Lower Cost Than Current" enabled AND Cost Score < Current Cost Score: Adjusted Score = Adjusted Score - 6
Final Score = Round(Adjusted Score to 1 decimal), clamped to 0-100
The weighted sum combines all eight dimensions according to your priority profile weights. Constraint penalties are applied after the base score calculation to nudge rankings without completely filtering out cities. The result is rounded to one decimal place and clamped to 0-100 to ensure valid scores.
City Ranking Algorithm
Cities are ranked by sorting their overall move scores in descending order:
1. Calculate Overall Move Score for each city
2. Sort cities by Overall Move Score descending
3. Assign ranks: Rank 1 = highest score, Rank 2 = second highest, etc.
4. Identify strongest dimension for each city (highest dimension score)
The ranking algorithm ensures that cities are ordered from best match (highest score) to worst match (lowest score) based on your stated priorities. Rank 1 represents the city that best aligns with your priority profile, while lower ranks represent cities that align less well.
Worked Example: Comparing Three Cities with Budget Focused Profile
Let's compare Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana; and San Francisco, California using "Budget Focused" priority profile:
Des Moines Dimension Scores:
- Cost: 72, Jobs: 70, Safety: 62, Climate: 35, Remote Work: 75, Family: 75, Healthcare: 72, Lifestyle: 78
Weight Calculation (Budget Focused):
Base: Cost = 0.16, Jobs = 0.16, Safety = 0.16, Climate = 0.12, Remote Work = 0.12, Family = 0.12, Healthcare = 0.08, Lifestyle = 0.08
Budget Focused: Cost += 0.10, Lifestyle -= 0.04, Climate -= 0.03, Remote Work -= 0.03
Adjusted: Cost = 0.26, Jobs = 0.16, Safety = 0.16, Climate = 0.09, Remote Work = 0.09, Family = 0.12, Healthcare = 0.08, Lifestyle = 0.04
Normalized (sum = 1.0): Cost = 0.26, Jobs = 0.16, Safety = 0.16, Climate = 0.09, Remote Work = 0.09, Family = 0.12, Healthcare = 0.08, Lifestyle = 0.04
Des Moines Overall Move Score:
= (72 × 0.26) + (70 × 0.16) + (62 × 0.16) + (35 × 0.09) + (75 × 0.09) + (75 × 0.12) + (72 × 0.08) + (78 × 0.04)
= 18.72 + 11.2 + 9.92 + 3.15 + 6.75 + 9 + 5.76 + 3.12 = 67.62 ≈ 67.6
Indianapolis Dimension Scores:
- Cost: 68, Jobs: 68, Safety: 42, Climate: 45, Remote Work: 68, Family: 65, Healthcare: 78, Lifestyle: 65
Indianapolis Overall Move Score:
= (68 × 0.26) + (68 × 0.16) + (42 × 0.16) + (45 × 0.09) + (68 × 0.09) + (65 × 0.12) + (78 × 0.08) + (65 × 0.04)
= 17.68 + 10.88 + 6.72 + 4.05 + 6.12 + 7.8 + 6.24 + 2.6 = 62.09 ≈ 62.1
San Francisco Dimension Scores:
- Cost: 15, Jobs: 95, Safety: 45, Climate: 78, Remote Work: 92, Family: 55, Healthcare: 88, Lifestyle: 95
San Francisco Overall Move Score:
= (15 × 0.26) + (95 × 0.16) + (45 × 0.16) + (78 × 0.09) + (92 × 0.09) + (55 × 0.12) + (88 × 0.08) + (95 × 0.04)
= 3.9 + 15.2 + 7.2 + 7.02 + 8.28 + 6.6 + 7.04 + 3.8 = 59.04 ≈ 59.0
Ranking:
1. Des Moines (67.6) - Best match for budget-focused priorities
2. Indianapolis (62.1) - Second-best match, 5.5 points behind
3. San Francisco (59.0) - Third-best match, 8.6 points behind
With "Budget Focused" priority, Des Moines (67.6) ranks highest because it has the best cost of living score (72), which is weighted heavily (26%) in this profile. Despite San Francisco's excellent jobs (95), remote work (92), and lifestyle (95) scores, its very low cost score (15) causes it to rank lowest when cost is prioritized. Indianapolis ranks second due to its good cost score (68) and balanced other dimensions. This example demonstrates how priority profiles affect rankings—Des Moines ranks highest when cost is prioritized, but the ranking would be very different with a "Remote Work Focused" or "Lifestyle Focused" profile.
Practical Use Cases
Student Research Project: Multi-City Quality of Life Analysis
A student studying urban planning needs to analyze how different cities compare across multiple quality-of-life dimensions. They use the tool to compare five cities (Des Moines, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin) with "Balanced" priority profile. The tool reveals that Des Moines ranks highest (overall 75) due to balanced scores across all dimensions, while San Francisco ranks lowest (overall 65) despite high jobs and lifestyle scores due to very low cost score. The student calculates score ranges and identifies that Des Moines excels in cost (72) and family (75), while San Francisco excels in jobs (95) and lifestyle (95). This analysis supports their research on urban quality of life and helps them understand trade-offs between cities with different dimension profiles.
Professional Relocation: Evaluating Multiple Job Offers
A professional receives job offers in three cities: Boston, Massachusetts; Austin, Texas; and Des Moines, Iowa. They use the tool with "Remote Work Focused" priority and "I need good remote work conditions" constraint enabled to compare cities. Boston shows overall 82 (rank 1), with strong remote work (82) and jobs (85), while Des Moines shows overall 78 (rank 2), with good remote work (75) and excellent cost (72). Austin shows overall 76 (rank 3), with good remote work (82) but moderate cost (45). The tool reveals that Boston ranks highest due to strong remote work infrastructure and job opportunities, which are priorities for their remote work needs. This comparison helps them understand that despite Des Moines's lower cost, Boston might be better for their remote work priorities.
Researcher: Studying How Priority Profiles Affect Rankings
A researcher studying city selection uses the tool to analyze how different priority profiles affect rankings. They compare the same five cities using "Balanced," "Budget Focused," "Remote Work Focused," "Family Focused," "Lifestyle Focused," and "Health & Safety Focused" profiles to understand how different priorities affect assessments. The tool reveals that cities rank very differently under different profiles—Des Moines ranks highest with "Budget Focused" but lower with "Lifestyle Focused," while San Francisco ranks lowest with "Budget Focused" but highest with "Lifestyle Focused." This analysis supports their academic work on multi-criteria decision analysis and helps them understand how different stakeholder groups might evaluate cities differently.
Common Person: Finding Affordable Cities with Good Quality of Life
A person planning to relocate wants to find cities that offer good quality of life without breaking the bank. They use the tool with "Budget Focused" priority and compare several cities: Des Moines (overall 67.6), Indianapolis (overall 62.1), Kansas City (overall 60.5), Columbus (overall 59.8), and Omaha (overall 59.2). The tool shows that Des Moines ranks highest due to excellent cost (72) and good scores across other dimensions. They experiment with "Balanced" priority and see that rankings shift slightly, but Des Moines and Indianapolis remain top choices. This analysis helps them identify cities that offer good quality of life within their budget.
Tax Payer: Comparing Cities to Current Location
A taxpayer currently living in San Francisco wants to find more affordable cities with comparable quality of life. They use the tool with "Balanced" priority, enter San Francisco as their current city, enable "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city" constraint, and compare five cities: Des Moines, Indianapolis, Austin, Denver, and Seattle. The tool reveals that Des Moines ranks highest (overall 75) with much better cost (72 vs. 15) and comparable other dimensions, while San Francisco ranks lowest (overall 65) due to very low cost score. The taxpayer calculates that moving from San Francisco to Des Moines would save approximately $4,000/month in living costs while maintaining good quality of life (overall 75), significantly improving their financial situation while maintaining quality infrastructure.
Family with Children: Prioritizing Family-Friendliness and Safety
A family with children wants to find cities with excellent family-friendliness and safety. They use the tool with "Family Focused" priority and compare several cities: Des Moines (overall 78), Salt Lake City (overall 76), Boise (overall 74), Raleigh (overall 72), and Madison (overall 70). The tool shows that Des Moines ranks highest due to excellent family-friendliness (75) and good safety (62), while offering good cost (72) and healthcare (72). This analysis helps them identify cities that offer the best family infrastructure and safety for their children.
Understanding Why Score Gaps Matter in Rankings
A user notices that Des Moines (overall 75) and Indianapolis (overall 72) have a 3-point gap, while Indianapolis (overall 72) and San Francisco (overall 65) have a 7-point gap. The tool reveals that small gaps (≤3 points) suggest cities are very close and both could be excellent choices depending on specific preferences, while larger gaps (≥8 points) suggest the top city aligns more strongly with stated priorities. The user learns that score gaps help understand how close choices are—Des Moines and Indianapolis are very close (3-point gap), while Indianapolis and San Francisco are further apart (7-point gap). This understanding helps them identify which cities are truly close competitors versus which have more significant differences.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating Rankings as Definitive Recommendations
The tool provides data-driven comparisons based on city-level averages and your selected priorities, but it cannot account for your unique circumstances: career path, family situation, social connections, specific neighborhood preferences, financial details, or personal values. Don't treat rank 1 as a definitive answer about where you should move. Use rankings as a starting point for research, not as a final decision. Always consider factors not captured in these scores, visit cities in person, and make decisions based on comprehensive research.
Ignoring Neighborhood-Level Variation
City-level scores are averages that mask enormous variation within cities. A city with a moderate safety score may have very safe neighborhoods and others with higher crime. A city with high job scores may not have opportunities in your specific field. Housing costs vary block by block. Individual lifestyle choices dramatically affect actual costs. Don't assume the entire city has uniform conditions. Always research specific neighborhoods, visit in person, and consider local factors when making relocation decisions.
Not Selecting Appropriate Priority Profile
The tool allows you to customize priority profiles, but if you don't select the appropriate profile, you'll get rankings that don't match your priorities. If cost is your top concern, select "Budget Focused" rather than "Balanced." If remote work is critical, select "Remote Work Focused" rather than "Lifestyle Focused." If family needs are paramount, select "Family Focused" rather than "Budget Focused." Always adjust the priority profile to match your specific relocation priorities for more relevant rankings.
Focusing Only on Overall Score Without Examining Dimensions
The overall move score is useful for quick comparisons, but it can mask important differences in dimension scores. Two cities might have similar overall scores but differ significantly in specific areas—one might excel in jobs but struggle with cost, while another has balanced scores across all dimensions. Always examine individual dimension scores (cost, jobs, safety, climate, remote work, family, healthcare, lifestyle) to understand what contributes to the overall score and which factors matter most to you. A city with a high overall score but low scores in dimensions you care about might not be ideal.
Assuming Data Is Real-Time or Perfectly Accurate
All dimension scores are based on static, pre-aggregated city-level data that may be 1-2 years old. They are not updated in real-time and may not reflect recent changes in cost of living, job markets, crime rates, or infrastructure. Cost of living can change as housing markets shift, job markets fluctuate with economic conditions, and cities develop new infrastructure. Use the tool as a starting point for research, not as a precise, up-to-the-minute assessment. Always supplement with current data from local sources, recent news, and personal research when making important decisions.
Not Using Constraints When They Apply
The tool offers optional constraints ("I need good remote work conditions" and "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city") that can help refine rankings based on must-have requirements. If remote work is essential, enable the remote work constraint to filter out cities that don't support remote work well. If you need to reduce costs, enter your current city and enable the lower cost constraint to focus on more affordable options. Don't ignore constraints if they represent your must-have requirements—they can help identify cities that meet your essential needs.
Making Relocation Decisions Based Solely on Rankings
City rankings are one factor among many to consider when choosing where to move. Don't make relocation decisions based solely on these rankings without considering specific job opportunities, extended family proximity, personal preferences, climate adjustment, social connections, and other quality-of-life factors. Use rankings as a starting point for research, then conduct deeper investigation into cities that interest you, visit in person, talk to locals, and consider all relevant factors before making decisions.
Advanced Tips & Strategies
Experiment with Different Priority Profiles to Understand Trade-offs
Try different priority profiles (Balanced, Budget Focused, Remote Work Focused, Family Focused, Lifestyle Focused, Health & Safety Focused) to see how they affect city rankings. A city might rank highly with "Budget Focused" but lower with "Lifestyle Focused" if it has excellent affordability but limited amenities. Understanding these trade-offs helps you identify cities that consistently rank well across multiple profiles (indicating balanced quality of life) versus cities that only rank well with specific priorities (indicating specialized strengths). This experimentation helps you find cities that match your specific needs.
Compare Multiple Cities Simultaneously for Better Context
Compare 3-10 cities simultaneously to get better context on how cities rank relative to each other. Comparing only two cities might miss better options, while comparing too many (10+) can be overwhelming. Aim for 3-7 cities that represent different regions, sizes, or characteristics you're interested in. This helps you understand score ranges, identify patterns, and see how cities compare across multiple dimensions. The tool shows score gaps between cities, which helps you understand how close choices are.
Use Constraints to Refine Rankings Based on Must-Have Requirements
Enable optional constraints if they represent your must-have requirements. "I need good remote work conditions" helps filter out cities that don't support remote work well, which is essential if you work remotely. "Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city" helps focus on more affordable options, which is important if cost reduction is a priority. Constraints are soft adjustments (penalties), not hard filters, so cities can still rank high if they excel in other dimensions. Use constraints to refine rankings, not to eliminate options completely.
Examine Dimension Breakdowns to Understand City Strengths and Weaknesses
After getting rankings, examine each city's dimension breakdown to understand what contributes to its overall score. A city might rank high due to excellent cost and safety scores, while another ranks high due to excellent jobs and lifestyle scores. Understanding dimension breakdowns helps you identify cities that excel in areas you care about most. Look for cities with high scores in your priority dimensions, even if their overall score is slightly lower. Dimension breakdowns reveal trade-offs and help you make more informed decisions.
Pay Attention to Score Gaps to Understand How Close Choices Are
Score gaps between cities indicate how close the choices are. Small gaps (≤3 points) suggest cities are very close and both could be excellent choices depending on specific preferences. Moderate gaps (4-7 points) suggest noticeable differences but both cities have merit. Large gaps (≥8 points) suggest the top city aligns more strongly with your priorities. Use score gaps to understand whether you have multiple good options or one clear winner. Don't over-interpret small differences—cities within 3-5 points are essentially tied.
Combine with Other City Insights Tools for Comprehensive Analysis
Use this tool in conjunction with other city insights tools like cost-of-living calculators, tax burden comparisons, family-friendliness scores, healthcare access scores, and quality-of-life composite scores. The move recommender provides one perspective, but combining multiple tools gives you a more comprehensive view. For example, a city might rank high in the move recommender but also have high tax burden or poor healthcare access. Use multiple tools to understand the full picture before making relocation decisions.
Visit Cities and Research Neighborhoods Before Making Decisions
After using the tool to identify top-ranked cities, visit those cities and research specific neighborhoods in person if possible. Walk through neighborhoods, visit during different seasons, talk to residents, and get a feel for the community. Scores and data can't capture intangibles like community feel, neighborhood character, local culture, and quality of life. Personal visits help you understand whether a city's scores translate to a good fit for your specific needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Always combine data-driven rankings with personal research and visits.
Sources & References
The data and methodologies used in this tool are informed by authoritative sources on city livability and relocation planning:
- •U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey: census.gov/programs-surveys/acs - Demographic, economic, and housing data for US communities.
- •Bureau of Economic Analysis - Regional Price Parities: bea.gov/data/prices-inflation - Cost of living comparisons across metropolitan areas.
- •Bureau of Labor Statistics - Local Area Unemployment: bls.gov/lau - Employment and job market data by metropolitan area.
- •FBI - Crime Data Explorer: crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov - Official crime statistics for safety dimension calculations.
- •NOAA - Climate Data Online: ncei.noaa.gov/cdo-web - Historical climate data for weather and comfort assessments.
For Educational Purposes Only - Not Professional Advice
This calculator provides estimates for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute travel, financial, legal, or professional advice. Results are based on the information you provide and general guidelines that may not account for your individual circumstances. Costs, fees, and regulations change frequently. Always consult with a qualified licensed moving company or relocation specialist for advice specific to your situation. Information should be verified with official FMCSA.gov sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about city comparison, move scores, priority profiles, data sources, and how to use this tool for relocation planning.
What does the "Where Should I Move?" Recommender actually do?
This tool compares multiple cities across eight dimensions (cost of living, jobs, safety, climate, remote work, family-friendliness, healthcare, and lifestyle amenities) and ranks them based on your selected priority profile. Each city receives a 0–100 overall move score, with higher scores indicating a better match for your stated priorities. It's a starting point for research, not a definitive recommendation.
What factors are included in the scores?
Eight dimensions are scored: (1) Cost of Living – affordability of housing, goods, and services; (2) Job Opportunities – strength of the job market and wages; (3) Safety/Crime – crime rates relative to national averages; (4) Climate Comfort – year-round weather patterns; (5) Remote Work – infrastructure for working from home; (6) Family-Friendliness – schools, parks, and kid-friendly amenities; (7) Healthcare Access – doctors, hospitals, and clinics; (8) Lifestyle & Amenities – culture, dining, and entertainment options.
Can this tell me where I personally should move?
No. This tool provides a data-driven comparison based on city-level averages and your selected priorities, but it cannot account for your unique circumstances: career path, family situation, social connections, specific neighborhood preferences, financial details, or personal values. Use this as one input among many in your research, not as a final answer.
Does this include visa, tax, or immigration rules?
No. This tool does not provide legal, immigration, tax, or regulatory guidance. Visa requirements, work permits, tax implications, and residency rules vary by country, state, and individual situation. For these matters, consult qualified professionals such as immigration attorneys, tax advisors, or financial planners.
Why might my experience differ from the scores?
City-level scores are averages that mask enormous variation. A city with a moderate safety score may have very safe neighborhoods and others with higher crime. A city with high job scores may not have opportunities in your specific field. Housing costs vary block by block. Individual lifestyle choices dramatically affect actual costs. Always research specific neighborhoods and visit in person before making decisions.
How do the priority profiles affect my ranking?
Priority profiles adjust how much weight each dimension carries in the overall score. 'Balanced' weights all factors roughly equally. 'Budget Focused' emphasizes cost of living. 'Remote Work Focused' emphasizes internet and job flexibility. 'Family Focused' emphasizes schools and safety. 'Lifestyle Focused' emphasizes amenities and climate. 'Health & Safety Focused' emphasizes healthcare and crime rates. Try different profiles to see how rankings shift.
What do the constraint options do?
Two optional constraints can nudge rankings: (1) 'I need good remote work conditions' applies a small penalty to cities with weak remote work scores. (2) 'Only prefer cities cheaper than my current city' (only available if you enter your current city) applies a small penalty to cities that are more expensive than where you currently live. These are soft adjustments, not hard filters.
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Compare cities based on schools, safety, parks, and family amenities.
City Crime Risk Index
Compare relative crime exposure between two US cities using public crime index data.
City Climate Comfort Index
Compare weather patterns, hot days, cold days, humidity, and year-round comfort between cities.
State Tax Move Impact Calculator
Compare state income tax differences when relocating. See how moving to a new state affects your tax burden.