How MoveScore Is Calculated

MoveScore is a simple composite: six federal sub-scores, each on a 0-100 scale, averaged with equal weight. Every number traces to a U.S. government data source.

The Six Federal Sub-Scores

• Safety, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. A 0-100 score derived from violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents.
• Water quality, from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System. A 0-100 score reflecting violations and compliance of the city's water systems.
• Air quality, from the EPA Air Quality System. A grade A-F reflecting median AQI and unhealthy-air days, converted to 95/80/65/50/30 on the 0-100 scale.
• Schools, from NCES Common Core of Data and EDFacts. A 0-100 score averaging per-school proficiency and enrollment indicators.
• Fiscal health, from the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (ASPEP). A 0-100 score combining per-capita spending, reserves, and debt.
• Hospital quality, from CMS HCAHPS patient experience surveys and Hospital Compare star ratings. Average star rating (1-5) is rescaled to 0-100 (star × 20).

The Composite Formula

composite = mean(availableSubScores)       // equal weights
grade     = composite >= 80 ? 'A'
          : composite >= 70 ? 'B'
          : composite >= 60 ? 'C'
          : composite >= 50 ? 'D'
          : 'F'

We do not weight the six dimensions. You may value safe water over hospital options, or schools over air quality. Weighting any one of them would bake our bias into the grade. Equal weighting makes the composite a fair summary of what federal data says overall.

Missing Data

Not every city has every sub-score. Small cities often have no independent hospital. Some cities do not report to the Census ASPEP spending survey. When a sub-score is missing, we skip it, we do not penalize the city. A composite is only shown when at least three of the six sub-scores are available for a city.

Grade Bands

• A (80-100): Excellent overall livability — strong across most federal indicators.
• B (70-79): Good overall livability with at least one area of strength.
• C (60-69): Fair, average across the federal indicators.
• D (50-59): Below average, meaningful issues on two or more indicators.
• F (<50): Poor, significant federal-reported issues across multiple dimensions.

What MoveScore Does Not Measure

MoveScore does not measure cost of living, job markets, weather, commute times, walkability, or cultural fit. It is not a relocation recommendation — it is a summary of what federal public health, safety, education, and fiscal data say about a city. Treat the composite as one input, not a conclusion.