Moving to Washington from Arizona
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Arizona to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Arizona to Washington, you would find that Washington is 15.2% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $81,643 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Arizona to Washington. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $81,643 To maintain the same standard of living in Washington The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 1.0% more Groceries pay 13.4% more Transportation pay 16.4% more Housing pay 5.0% less Childcare pay 62.2% more Entertainment and Sports pay 16.2% more Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%). On average, cities in Washington cost about 15% more than cities in Arizona. Compare cities head-to-head How Arizona and Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Arizona generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Washington performs significantly better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Arizona performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Arizona generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person typical annual income of a household share of people below the poverty line Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Washington performs significantly better than Arizona across all family life metrics. Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Day-to-day costs in Washington run about 9% higher than Arizona on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $20,411 in Washington for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Arizona generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate. Washington performs significantly better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Phoenix Olympia Jan–Mar 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) Apr–Jun 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) Jul–Sep 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) Oct–Dec 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) View all months
Month Phoenix Olympia Jan 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) Feb 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) Mar 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) Apr 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) May 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) Jun 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) Jul 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) Aug 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) Sep 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) Oct 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) Nov 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) Dec 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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