Moving to Kentucky from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to Kentucky? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 23.2% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $54,283 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $54,283
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.6% less
Groceries
pay 20.1% less
Transportation
pay 22.4% less
Housing
pay 32.0% less
Childcare
pay 26.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.8% 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 Kentucky compared to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than California?
On average Kentucky is about 28% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Budget about $13,571 for 3 months in Kentucky (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Kentucky safe?
Kentucky performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to California?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
