Considering a move to the Golden State? There are so many benefits to moving to California, like the miles of beautiful beaches, relatively high salaries and year-round warm weather, but is it worth it? Before you pack your bags, hire a top long-distance moving company and head to the West Coast, make sure to consider the differences in cost of living between California and your current location.
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Cost of Living in California
Get specific about your needs when comparing the cost of living between two cities: Maybe the most obvious factor that you may want to examine in the area you’re thinking about moving to is the cost of housing.
Average California Housing Prices in 2024
According to national housing marketplace Zillow, the average home value in California hovers around $744,280, which is down nearly 3% from last year, but is still significantly higher than the national median value of $349,770. Home prices in California are so high that statewide only 16% of residents can actually afford to be homeowners, according to the California Association of Realtors.
But beyond housing, the cost of living in California includes several dozen factors, which vary across the state—things like the average cost of seeing a doctor or the average cost of food. To get an idea of what you’re typically spending, diligently track your current expenses, both wants and needs, for one full month in a document.
Want to go out for pizza and a movie? In California that’ll cost you about $31, which is $10 higher than the national median cost ($21) of a movie and pizza night.
Is that significantly higher or lower than you’re used to paying? You’ll need to examine your current budget to see how it’ll stack up if you move. Also, consider the cost of visiting a doctor.
These are the average costs for one visit to various types of medical professionals in Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade versus the national median:
- Dentist: $94.80 vs. $98.33
- Optometrist: $148.50 vs. $105.84
- Doctor: $194.75 vs. $111.23
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Average Cost of Groceries in California
Using data from The Council for Community and Economic Research, here’s a sample of average food prices across the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade area versus the national median:
- Ground beef: $4.96 vs. $4.18
- Orange juice: $4.53 vs. $3.56
- Eggs: $2.52 vs. $1.39
If you were to buy ground beef, orange juice and eggs each week at the grocery store, you’d pay $12.01 per week and $624.52 per year. That’s higher than the national weekly median cost for ground beef, orange juice and eggs of $9.13.
Average Cost of Gas in California in 2023
California also has the highest gas prices in the nation; in September of 2023, the average gas price per gallon was $5.36 as compared to the national average of $3.82. Depending on where you live in California, this could be a big expense.
In Los Angeles, for instance, you will likely be traveling by car most of the time, in San Francisco, you may rely on public transportation more than driving.
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Average Salary in California
The good news is that while it is relatively expensive to live in California, the average salaries are high here, too. According to ZipRecruiter, the average yearly salary in California is more than $61,000 (which places this state in the top 10 nationwide). That average gets significantly higher around California’s tech hubs (like San Gabriel, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto) where average annual salaries approach and exceed six figures—way, way above national averages.
Climate in California
California’s pleasant, Mediterranean-like climate in much of the state is a huge draw for visitors and residents alike and average daily temperatures hover around a balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit all year round in these areas. Miles and miles of coastline also mean that California boasts some of the most incredible beaches in the country.
But California also sees its fair share of climate-related disasters, with high incidences of wildfires and drought. Since 2000, there have been over 8,000 wildfires in California alone, according to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Some of these fires have resulted in fatalities, and many have disrupted entire regions causing massive evacuations and moves, as well as loss of property.
The high incidence of natural disasters has also proven majorly expensive for the insurance industry, which has resulted in big insurers actively leaving California, making it harder to find coverage for your dwelling and more expensive when you do.
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Schools in California
Although high school graduation rates are in the top 20% nationally at 80.4%, the state has historically lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to test scores. Many experts attribute this to relatively low state spending on public education.
Pros and Cons of Living in California
Pros:
- Weather
- Outdoor lifestyle
- High salaries
- Culturally diverse
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Cons:
- High cost of living
- Frequent natural disasters
- Public school test scores
Once you’ve decided that moving to California is worth it, compare the best moving companies to make sure you have one that will work for all of your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much money do you need to move to California?
The expense of moving to California from another state depends a great deal on which state you’re moving from and how much stuff you’re bringing with you. If you only need to rent a moving van for a few hours to get you where you need to go, that’s very different than hiring a professional moving company to take you and the contents of your home across the county.
Try to plan on having at least three to six months of living expenses saved up to cover rent, deposit and other startup expenses. If you are looking to purchase a home in your new Californian town, you’ll need a down payment and somewhere to stay while you shop for your new home.
What is a good reason to move to California?
There are many great reasons to move to California—from being closer to the epicenter of your chosen industry like entertainment in LA or tech in the San Francisco area—to wanting an outdoor lifestyle, made possible by the year-round great weather. California is also one of the most culturally diverse states in the country, which means you’re likely to experience a great variety of food and wide-ranging cultural customs throughout the state.
What's a good salary in California?
A good salary in California is extremely relative and varies tremendously throughout the state. Although state averages are very high when compared to national averages, salaries are even higher when you look at averages by city and focus on the tech centers in the Northern part of the state.
Statewide, salary averages hover around $61,000 per year, but you’ll find it much more useful to look into averages once you focus on your chosen industry and city.
Does living in California make you happier?
Generally, it does seem that Californians are happier than their peers in other states. Multiple studies done by different polling organizations seem to place various California cities at the top of happiness lists, including a recent study by SmartAsset, which awarded six of the top 10 slots of California cities.
The study looked at inputs across various categories including cost of living, well-being (including life expectancy, physical activity rate, mental health etc.) and quality of life (commute times, marriage rates and low crime rates).
- Sunnyvale, California
- Arlington, Virginia
- Bellevue, Washington
- Fremont, California
- Frisco, Texas
- Plano, Texas
- Roseville, California
- San Jose, California
- Santa Clarita, California
- Irvine, California
