Moving to Arkansas from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to Arkansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 23.8% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $52,579 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $52,579
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.0% less
Groceries
pay 25.0% less
Transportation
pay 30.9% less
Housing
pay 28.0% less
Childcare
pay 35.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arkansas compared to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
California generally does better on safety, though Arkansas leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though Arkansas leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Arkansas leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs better than Arkansas 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)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than California?
On average Arkansas is about 30% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?
Budget about $13,145 for 3 months in Arkansas (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arkansas safe?
California generally does better on safety, though Arkansas leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to California?
California performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to California?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
