Moving to Louisiana from California

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What to Expect

Considering a move from California to Louisiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from California to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 23.1% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $55,720 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Louisiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $55,720

To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.5% less

Groceries

pay 14.8% less

Transportation

pay 22.6% less

Housing

pay 30.7% less

Childcare

pay 39.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 22.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Louisiana compared to California.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CA
503
LA
543
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CA
2303
LA
2605

California performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CA
6.8%
LA
7.9%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CA
28.4%
LA
40.6%

California performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CA
$695,400
LA
$208,700
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CA
$1,956
LA
$1,038

Louisiana performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CA
92.6%
LA
84.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CA
29 min
LA
26 min

California generally does better on infrastructure, though Louisiana leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CA
5.1%
LA
3.9%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CA
$84,028
LA
$55,662

California generally does better on employment & economy, though Louisiana leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CA
79.0 yrs
LA
73.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CA
25%
LA
18%

California performs better than Louisiana 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.

SacramentoRain: 18.5 in/yr (470 mm)
74°/48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Baton RougeRain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79°/58°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSacramentoBaton Rouge
Jan–Mar60°/41°F (15°/5°C)67°/45°F (19°/7°C)
Apr–Jun79°/51°F (26°/11°C)85°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Jul–Sep90°/57°F (32°/14°C)91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec65°/44°F (18°/7°C)72°/50°F (22°/10°C)
View all months
MonthSacramentoBaton Rouge
Jan54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)
Feb60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C)
Mar65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C)
Apr71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C)
May80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C)
Jun87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C)
Jul92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C)
Aug91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C)
Sep87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C)
Oct78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C)
Nov64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Dec54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than California?

On average Louisiana is about 26% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?

Budget about $13,930 for 3 months in Louisiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Louisiana safe?

California performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to California?

California performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Louisiana compared to California?

The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.

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